Cellular Actuators inspired by Biological Muscles, Dr. Jun Ueda, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
Actuators are one of the key components in robotic and mechatronic systems. Motions generated by actuators enable computer-controlled systems to interact with the physical world. Inspired by unique characteristics of biological muscles, a system-level approach was taken to design, fabricate, control, and analyze new robotic actuators, resulting in a unique and powerful methodology for biologically inspired actuation. In this talk, the concept of cellular actuation is introduced, where mechanical structures with an array of single amplified piezoelectric actuators operate in parallel or series according to the needs of the application. Such actuators are fast and provide smooth contraction, which is interesting for human-like movements in arms and eyes..