Simulation of laminar bimorph piezoelectric microactuators with application in miniaturized robots

Abstract

In order to implement miniaturized robots different possibilities for electromechanical actuation at the microscale must be evaluated according to their function on the robot, as well as, size, mechanical strength and deformation, resolution, power supply, energy and degrees of freedom required. The piezoelectric actuators are among the most suitable possibilities to incorporate microactuators in miniaturized robots.This article presents an overview of piezoelectric actuation and the evaluation of a simple x-y micropositioning actuator for a miniaturized robot using COMSOL Multiphysics.