This paper describes the fabrication and characteristics of an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) membrane-shaped micro-actuator and its application to the fabrication of a micro-pump. After fabricating two 8mm×8mm IPMC membraneshaped actuators using a Nafion film, their displacements were measured. The fabricated IPMC membrane-shaped micro-actuators showed displacement of 14∼27μm at the appl...

In order to exhaustively exploit the high-level capabilities of shape memory alloys (SMAs), they must be applied in control systems applications. However, because of their hysteretic inherent, dilatory response, and nonlinear behavior, scientists are thwarted in their attempt to design controllers for actuators of such kind.  The current study aims at developing a micro-position control system ...

Present work delivers a systematical evaluation of actuation efficiency of a nano-particle electrode conducting polymer actuator fabricated based on Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR). Attempts are made for maximizing mechanical functionality of the nano-particle electrode conducting polymer actuator that can be driven in the air. As the conducting polymer polypyrrole of the actuator is to be fabri...

We proposed an innovative simple and smart microfluidic gel actuator, which is made of photoprocessible thermoresponsible gel, for the disposable biomedical chip application. The smart gel is called “Bioresist”, and arbitral shape with micrometer order can be patterned on microfluidic chip by standard photolithography technique. Furthermore, the proposed actuator can be actuated only by heating...

The McKibben artificial muscle is a pneumatic actuator whose properties include a very high force to weight ratio. This characteristic makes it very attractive for a wide range of applications such as mobile robots and prosthetic appliances for the disabled. Typical applications often require a significant number of repeated contractions and extensions or cycles of the actuator. This repeated a...

This paper reports a novel actuating design that uses the shear deformation of a piezoelectric actuator to deflect a bulge-diaphragm for driving an array microdroplet ejector. In essence, we employed a circular-shaped actuator poled radial direction with remnant polarization normal to the actuating electric field for inducing the piezoelectric shear effect. The array microdroplet ejector consis...

This paper reports a novel actuating design that uses the shear deformation of a piezoelectric actuator to deflect a bulge-diaphragm for driving an array microdroplet ejector. In essence, we employed a circular-shaped actuator poled radial direction with remnant polarization normal to the actuating electric field for inducing the piezoelectric shear effect. The array microdroplet ejector consis...

A paper actuator was fabricated from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) by a wet process without organic solvents. The paper actuator had a capacitor structure, with a cationic polymer as an insulating layer sandwiched between two PEDOT:PSS films as the electrodes. The thickness of the paper actuator was approximately 36 m. We measured its displace...

This paper reports a miniaturized piezoelectric accelerometer suitable for a small haptic actuator array. The accelerometer is made with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) grown on a copper wafer by a hydrothermal process. The size of the accelerometer is 1.5 × 1.5 mm², thus fitting the 1.8 × 1.8 mm² haptic actuator array cell. The detailed fabrication process of the miniaturized accelerometer is i...

Soft actuators driven by pneumatic pressure are promising actuators for mechanical systems in medical, biological, agriculture, welfare fields and so on, because they can ensure high safety for fragile objects from their low mechanical impedance. In this study, a new rubber pneumatic actuator made from silicone rubber was developed. Composed of one chamber and one air-supply tube, it can genera...