| Project/Area Number |
07650300
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
YASUDA Takashi The University of Tokyo, School of Engineering, Faculty Member of the Endowed Chair, 大学院・工学系研究科, 客員助手 (80270883)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1996
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1996)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
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| Keywords | Microrobot / Microactuator / Electrostatic Actuator / Solar Battery / CMOS / マイクロアクチュエータ |
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| Research Abstract |
A new type of low voltage (11.8 V), large deflection (245 micron), electrostatic microactuator has been developed. Its performance was achieved by using several cantilevers connected in series and bending continuously. All of the cantilevers require the same low voltage to bend as one single cantilever does. Each cantilever has a straight beam section and a curved beam section. Experiments show that the length of both beam sections is important in order to decrease the driving voltage. The actuator has a large hysteresis and has a critical voltage which is required to drive it. This required voltage is low enough to allow a CMOS device to drive the actuator. This means that the actuator requires no power IC for amplifying current which is otherwise necessary for driving conventional electromagnetic motors. Therefore, a microsystem integrated with the microactuators and CMOS circuits is expected to be simple and small. Moreover, the low driving voltage also permitted the actuator to be supplied with power from solar cells. The smal-size solar cell is compatible with an electrostatic microactuator and CMOS device because they require little current and because they can be fabricated using the silicon process. Therefore, their integration is likely to enhance the feasibility of a self-contained microsystem such as an autonomous microrobot.
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