An efficient drive, sensing, and actuation system using PZT stack actuator cells

Abstract

The PZT cellular actuator developed in the MIT d'Arbeloff Laboratory utilizes small-strain, high-force PZT stack actuators in a mechanical flexure system to produce a larger-strain, lower-force actuator useful in robotic systems. Many functionalities for these cellular actuators are developed which can have great impact on robotic systems and actuation itself. After initial exploration into other possible circuitry, a circuit is designed to recovery unused energy for the PZT cells. The circuit design is formed around a proposed method of distributed actuation using PZT cells which imposes that different PZT cells will be activated during different periods such that the charge from some cells can be transferred to others. If the application allows actuation which can conform to this criteria, the developed circuit can be used which, without optimization, can save ~41% of the energy used to drive the actuators with a theoretical upper limit on energy efficiency of 100%. A dynamic system consisting of multiple PZT actuators driving a linear gear is analyzed and simulated which can achieve a no load speed 2.4 m/s with minimal actuators. Then, the two-way transforming properties of PZT stack actuators are utilized to allow dual sensing and actuation. This method uses an inactive PZT cell as a sensor. With no additional sensors, a pendulum system driven by antagonistic groups of PZT cells is shown to find its own resonance with no system model. These functionalities of charge recovery, distributed actuation, and dual sensing and actuation set the PZT cellular actuator as an important contribution to robotic actuation and begin to illuminate the possible impacts of the concept. The design and analysis described reveals many possibilities for future applications and developments using the PZT cellular actuator in the fields of actuation and robotics.