A primary challenge in the field of reconfigurable robotics is scaling down the size of individual robotic modules. We present a novel set of permanent magnet modules that are 900 μm × 900 μm × 270 μm in size, called Mag-μMods, for use in a reconfigurable micro-system. The module is actuated by oscillating external magnetic fields less than 5 mT in strength, and is capable of locomoting on a 2-...

In general, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are excited using a nonlinear electrostatic field. Due to the nonlinearity, the frequency of the device response to a step input depends on the input magnitude. As a result, traditional shaping techniques which are based on linear theory fail to provide good performance over the whole voltage range. In this paper, we develop a new methodology fo...

in the current study the effect of casimir force and squeezed film damping on the pull-in instability and dynamic behavior of electrostatically actuated nano and micro electromechanical systems is investigated separately. linear elastic membrane theory is used to model the static and dynamic behavior of system for strip, annular and disk geometries. squeezed film damping effect is modeled using...

We present a detailed study on an active thermal recovery mechanism intended to counteract stiction in an electrostatically actuated RF-MEMS switch. A problemadapted, hierarchized analysis procedure based on a recently derived and presented finite element (FE) model has been applied to investigate the impact of different design and material parameters on the efficiency of this mechanism as well...

A design of a high-force-output large-deeection parallel-plate electrostatically actuated microgripper is described. This design uses polysilicon as a structural material and may be fabricated using an IC-based surface machining process. This paper shows that by using a position feedback controller, this microgripper can be stabilized in theory, which is supported by computer simulations. Preli...

This paper focuses on the identification of nonlinear dynamic models for physical systems such as electrostatically actuated micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The proposed approach consists in transforming, by means of suitable global operations, the input-output differential model in such a way that the new equivalent formulation is well adapted to the identification problem, thanks to ...

In this paper, the stability of a functionally graded magneto-electro-elastic (FG-MEE) micro-beam under actuation of electrostatic pressure is studied. For this purpose Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and constitutive relations for magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) materials have been used. We have supposed that material properties vary exponentially along the thickness direction of the micro-beam. Gov...

Electrostatically actuated nanoelectromechanical switches based on intershell displacement mechanisms within batch fabricated, bidirectional multiwalled carbon nanotube MWNT bearings are reported. Multiple devices with a 220 nm pitch are constructed within individual MWNT supermolecules. Experimental results on performance metrics including low switching voltages 0.8 to 6 V , repeatability, hys...

We present a method for high fidelity lithographic patterning on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces employing traditional cleanroom equipment and commercially available materials that overcomes previous problems in PDMS processing. To illustrate this method, an electrostatically actuated microfluidic pump and rectangular diffraction gratings were fabricated on PDMS.