LAUSR

Abstract A three-DOF piezoelectric actuator using a thin cross-beam vibrator is presented and tested in this work. The thin cross-beam vibrator can form three-dimensional elliptical movements on its driving foot by the combinations of one bending vibration in Z direction and two longitudinal vibrations in X and Y directions, and three types of the formed elliptical movements are used to drive a sphere rotor around three coordinate axes by only one driving foot, respectively. This actuator adopts bonded-type configuration, which will be beneficial to realize miniaturization; its total size in thickness direction is 10.3 mm. The operating principles of the three-DOF rotations are illustrated and analyzed by theoretical and simulated methods. The structure dimensions of the actuator are determined and a prototype is manufactured. The experimental results indicate that the output velocities around X, Y and Z axes are 363 rpm, 342 rpm and 171 rpm when exciting voltage and rotor mass are 200 Vp-p and 4 g, respectively. Moreover, the proposed actuator can achieve velocities of 53 rpm and 22 rpm around X and Y axes when the mass of rotor is 52 g. The maximum rotor mass is 28 g when the rotor is driven around Z axis.