MEMS aerodynamic control surfaces for millimeter-scale rockets

Kilberg, Brian; Contreras, Daniel S.; Greenspun, Joseph; Pister, Kristofer S. J.

doi:10.1109/marss.2017.8001935

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…There has been an abundance of work published on the design and development of walking [6] and flying millimeterscale microrobots [7], [8], [9]. Much of this work focuses on hardware considerations such as the design of micro-sized joints and actuators rather than control.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Flexible and Reusable Locomotion Primitives for a Microrobot

Yang

Wang

Calandra

et al. 2018

IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett.

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The design of gaits for robot locomotion can be a daunting process which requires significant expert knowledge and engineering. This process is even more challenging for robots that do not have an accurate physical model, such as compliant or micro-scale robots. Data-driven gait optimization provides an automated alternative to analytical gait design. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to efficiently learn a wide range of locomotion tasks with walking robots. This approach formalizes locomotion as a contextual policy search task to collect data, and subsequently uses that data to learn multi-objective locomotion primitives that can be used for planning. As a proofof-concept we consider a simulated hexapod modeled after a recently developed microrobot, and we thoroughly evaluate the performance of this microrobot on different tasks and gaits. Our results validate the proposed controller and learning scheme on single and multi-objective locomotion tasks. Moreover, the experimental simulations show that without any prior knowledge about the robot used (e.g., dynamics model), our approach is capable of learning locomotion primitives within 250 trials and subsequently using them to successfully navigate through a maze.

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Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Flexible and Reusable Locomotion Primitives for a Microrobot

Yang

Wang

Calandra

et al. 2018

IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett.

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“…The control surface uses inchworm motors and rotational linkages to rotate a 2x4 mm 2 device-layer silicon airfoil to change its angle of attack [12]. The airfoil is fabricated in 40-micron thick device layer silicon using the SOI process.…”

Section: Aerodynamics and Airfoil Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inchworm motors are easy to integrate with transmissions and mechanisms by using simple silicon-on-insulator (SOI) fabrication processes [11]. In MARSS 2017, we reported the design and fabrication of a millimeter-scale MEMS control surface using electrostatic inchworm motors, but did not demonstrate its ability to generate aerodynamic forces [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mems Airfoil With Integrated Inchworm Motor and Force Sensor

Kilberg¹,

Contreras²,

Greenspun³

et al. 2018

2018 Solid-State, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop Technical Digest

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We demonstrate a MEMS-actuated aerodynamic control surface integrated with a piezoresistive force-sensing platform and fabricated in a simple 3-mask silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process. This 47-mg actuator/sensor system generates 0.25 mN of aerodynamic lift force in 23 m/s airflow while operating at 40V, with a rotational displacement of 11 degrees, and a slew rate of 100 degrees/s. This is the first use of an electrostatic inchworm motor to actuate an aerodynamic control surface and generate lift.

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“…Electrostatic microactuators are commonly employed for generating forces on the order of few mi-croNewtons and displacements on the order of few microns for a wide range of manipulating and probing applications. Applications include aligning the optical fibers in optoelectronic packaging [1], handling of micron-sized objects [2], probing of biological cells [3], actuating the miniature fins on millimeterscale rockets [4], and switching the radio frequency signals [5]. Parallel plate actuators are a class of electrostatic actuators known for high displacement and force resolutions [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of a parallel-plate electrostatic actuator in viscous dielectric media

Burugupally

Perera

2019

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical

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Understanding the dynamics of a parallel plate electrostatic actuator in viscous dielectric media will help optimize the actuator performance for manipulating microparticles suspended in aqueous media. In this paper, we analyze the response of the actuator in a clamped-clamped configuration immersed in viscous dielectric media. We modeled the actuator as a continuous system by deriving a reduced-order model, and solving it by employing the Galerkin method and linear undamped mode shapes for a clamped-clamped beam. Our model incorporates the inertial loading effect and squeeze film damping by the media, nonlinear mid-plane stretching forces in the beam electrode of the actuator, and nonlinear contact force during the physical contact of the beam electrode with the stationary electrode. The model is utilized to study the actuator dynamics over a broad range, three orders of magnitude of viscosity and two orders of magnitude of relative permittivity of the media. We report that the actuator at lower actuation voltages and/or higher actuation frequencies can be approximated to be a linear system. We also report that at very high actuation frequencies, the beam electrode does not pull-in into the stationary electrode, and the actuator experiences a significant phase lag and displacement drift over time.

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MEMS aerodynamic control surfaces for millimeter-scale rockets

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Learning Flexible and Reusable Locomotion Primitives for a Microrobot

Learning Flexible and Reusable Locomotion Primitives for a Microrobot

Mems Airfoil With Integrated Inchworm Motor and Force Sensor

Dynamics of a parallel-plate electrostatic actuator in viscous dielectric media

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