ABSTRACT
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are inherently small and, compared with macrosystems, are attractive for their reduced weight, size, power dissipation, improved speed, and precision. For MEMS applications, small size of magnetic actuators is required to improve miniaturization and integration for portable devices. Microstrain gauges realized on flexible substrates offer various advantages for MEMS application, such as high sensitivity, reduced dimensions, high spatial resolution, and direct integration with electronic circuitry. Polymer MEMS can be fabricated with low-cost processes and in many different sizes and shapes. The aim of tactile actuators is to realize moving taxels that accurately reproduce parameters such as texture, roughness, shape, and stiffness. The converse piezoelectric effect is one of the possible mechanisms to be exploited for tactile actuators. Compared with other actuating mechanisms, the strokes provided by piezoelectric technology are usually quite low. The proposed device consists of a muscle wire actuator, electrically driven by periodic signals.
