流体パワーを用いたマイクロアクチュエータに関する研究 第１報 微小化に適したアクチュエータ方式の検討と管内走行機械への応用

Abstract

For realizing practical actuators for micro-mechanisms, actuators using fluid power (called the “fluid actuators”, hereafter) are investigated. First, the miniaturization characteristics of three kinds of fluid actuators are analyzed and the results are compared with those of five typical actuators such as an electro-static actuator and so on. The calculated maximum output power densities show the utility of the positive-displacement type fluid actuator at a size of 10 [μm] -10 [mm]. Next, to realize an actuator small in size, an actuator using bellows called the “bellows actuator” is proposed and an actuator with a diameter of 8.3 [mm] and length of 13 [mm] is constructed. The measured output power and density are 1 [W] and 1 [W/cm3], respectively. Then, by using the bellows actuators, an in-pipe mobile machine moving like an inchworm is constructed. The machine has a diameter of 23 [mm], length of 70 [mm] and simple structure suitable for miniaturization. The results of the mobile experiments show that the machine can lift a weight of 1 [kg] at a speed of 1 [mm/s].