This paper presents micro self-reconfigurable modular robotic systems using shape memory alloy (SMA). The system is designed so that various shapes can be autonomously formed by a group of identical mechanical units. The unit realizes rotational motion by using an actuator mechanism composed of two SMA torsion coil springs. We have realized micro-size prototype units and examined their fundamen...

A finite element flow solver based on unstructured grids is employed for studying the aerodynamic characteristics of Micro Air Vehicles. Inviscid and viscous flow simulations were performed for two different Micro Air Vehicles developed at NRL. Lift and drag force variations were computed for a range of flow angles and control surface angles. The Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model was employed for ...

The parallel mechanism has become an alternative solution when micro manipulators are demanded in the fields of micro manipulation and micro assembly. In this paper, a threeDegree-Of-Freedom (3-DOF) parallel micro manipulator is presented, which is directly driven by three micro gas bubbles. Since the micro gas bubbles are generated and maintained due to the surface tension between the gas and ...

This paper presents a micro-sized self-reconfigurable modular robotic system using shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. Composed of identical robotic modules, the system can actively configure various structures. The motion of module is based on two-dimensional rotation by using an actuator mechanism with two SMA torsion coil springs. The micro-sized module measures 2cm cube and weighs 15g, half...

Many types of electrostatic and electromagnetic microactuators have been developed. It is important to understand the fundamental performance limitations of these actuators for use in micro-robotic systems. The most important consideration for micro mobile robots is the effective power density of the actuator. As inertia and gravitional forces become less significant for small robots, typical m...

MEMS micro-T-switches actuated via electrochemical bubbles for cell sorting applications in a monolithic chip level are proposed and successfully demonstrated. The electrolysis-bubble actuator, which has the features of low operation temperature and high surface-tension force, is developed to actuate the micro-T-switch sorting structure in our device. The double T-structure design, the T-shape ...

A growing demand for actuators with a volume of less than 1 mm3 has driven researchers to produce a varied range of micro/milli-scale designs. By examining the underlying physics of the actuator operation we are able to demonstrate why piezoelectric ultrasonic actuators have the greatest potential to meet this need. Moreover, it allows us to create a new classification system for piezoelectric ...

A compact two-dimensional micro scanner with small volume, large deflection angles and high frequency is presented and the two-dimensional laser scanning is achieved by specular reflection. To achieve large deflection angles, the micro scanner excited by a piezoelectric actuator operates in the resonance mode. The scanning frequencies and the maximum scanning angles of the two degrees of freedo...

active flow control has great importance in design of flying objects in general and control flaps in particular. using dielectric barrier discharge as plasma actuators over control flaps can cause a change in position of separation point or can eliminate it. this new flow control device produces a body force that causes generating a micro wall jet. the present study aims to investigate experime...

A stress-induced curved polysilicon actuator with a grating is achieved for the application of recordable optical pickups, which have been realized on a single silicon chip using a two-layer poly-silicon and one-layer silicon nitride micro-machining process. Three diffracted beams with equal intensity in each order from the grating were generated while applying a voltage to the actuator. The sw...