Akihito Sano, Junji Furusho and Hideo Fujimoto

Abstract:
In recent years, a great deal of research has been done in the area of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMSs). Among the elements of micro machines, the micro actuator is very important. In this paper, a fluiddriven micro actuator using an electro-rheological (ER) fluid is discussed. The proposed actuator consists of micro valves, a piston and a cylinder. These ER micro valves do not require mechanical parts because they form chain clusters like bridges between the electrodes. As a result, the ER actuator can be driven at 75Hz and generate 60gf.

Keywords: Robotics, Micro actuator, Fluid driven device, Electro-rheological fluid, Micro valve