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Ultrasonic motors inspired piezoelectric

miniature robot
Article January 2013

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Yves Bernard

Singapore University of Technology and Design

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Piezoelectric miniature robot inspired by Ultrasonic motors

H. Hariri, Y. Bernard, and A. Razek
Laboratoire de Gnie Electrique de Paris (LGEP) / SPEE-Labs, CNRS UMR 8507; SUPELEC;
Universit Pierre et Marie Curie P6; Universit Paris-Sud 11; 11 rue Joliot Curie, Plateau de Moulon
F91192 Gif sur Yvette CEDEX
Abstract. A new piezoelectric miniature robot design inspired from linear traveling
wave ultrasonic motors is introduced and a comparison between the robot and some
linear traveling wave ultrasonic motors is done. To model the robot, a finite element
model based on Hamilton principle is developed. A prototype has been manufactured.
The optimal operating frequency has been determinate using the model and validated
experimentally. Then, to characterize the robot, we measured the robot speed on a
smooth glass flat surface for different applied voltages and for different embedded
masses. We measured also the robot speed as a function of the mechanical load at a
given applied voltage, to determine the nominal operating point of the robot.

1 Introduction
The piezoelectric miniature robot presented in this paper is inspired from linear traveling wave
ultrasonic motors. The idea of this piezoelectric miniature robot is to generate a traveling wave in a
beam structure to move it on a solid substrate using piezoelectric patches bonded on the beam
surface.
Several configurations were reported in literature to excite traveling waves in finite structures.
Among them we can cite the one mode excitation presented first by Kuribayashi et al. [1] and the
two modes excitation presented first by B.G. Loh et al. [2]. Both methods are presented for
ultrasonic linear motor. Other methods used to generate traveling wave in finite beam structure, like
feedback control method, active control method and adaptive control method also exist in literature.
Interested readers can refer to [3] where the authors present an important review to excite traveling
wave in finite beam structure. B.G. Loh and P.I. Ro [2] have demonstrated experimentally the
possibility to generate a traveling wave on a finite length using two piezoelectric Langevin
transducers as vibrators (two modes excitation). Some experimental tests are done in their works to
characterize this linear traveling wave ultrasonic motor. Other type of traveling wave linear
ultrasonic motors using piezoelectric patches bonded on an elastic structure as actuators are
presented also in literature. These types of motors use many piezoelectric patches bonded on one or
both sides of the elastic structure combined with teeth form structure to generate the traveling wave.
As examples of such type of motors we can cite [4]. Dual piezoelectric actuators for the traveling
wave ultrasonic motor are presented in [5], this motor uses dual piezoelectric patches bonded on the
beam structure and it uses teeth form to amplify the traveling wave obtained with the two modes
excitation method. A review of locomotion principles for piezoelectric miniature robots in [6]
demonstrates that there is no piezoelectric miniature robot reported in the literature based on the

EPJ Web of Conferences

creation of a traveling wave to generate motion. Our robot consists of only two piezoelectric patches
bonded on a beam layer. The originality of our system compared to all linear ultrasonic motors
presented is that we use two piezoelectric patches without using teeth or legs - in robotic notation - to
generate the traveling wave for robotic application as presented in Figure 1. As shown in the figure,
the motion here is generated using the two modes excitation method.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the piezoelectric miniature robot. 3D view on the top and side view on the bottom

2 Modelling and fabrication of the piezoelectric miniature robot

A finite element model is developed for demonstrating the generation of a traveling wave on the
beam using the two modes excitation method.
Basing on Euler-Bernoulli assumptions for a beam structure, the linear constitutive relations and
by applying Hamilton principles, we obtain the variational equation governing the mechanical and
piezoelectric part of the system shown in Figure 1. Then Hermitic elements are used to obtain the
variational equation in matrix form, taking into account the damping behavior of the real system and
the two modes excitation method. This equation is given by (1).
,
and
are the structural mass matrix, the structural damping matrix and the
Where
and
are the piezoelectric stiffness matrices for
structural stiffness matrix respectively,
piezoelectric patches 1 and 2,
and
are the transpose of
and
,
and
are the dielectric stiffness for piezoelectric patches 1 and 2. The mass and stiffness matrices
include all the geometric parameters and physical properties of the system.
is the vector with
and
are the electrical charges for piezoelectric patches 1
nodal structural displacements,
and 2,
and
are the electric fields for piezoelectric patches 1 and 2, is the applied voltage,
is the thickness of the piezoelectric patches and w is the applied frequency.

0
0

0
0
0

0
0
0

0
0
0

0
0

0
0
0

+
0

0
0

cos
sin

(1)

Short title of the conference

Readers can refer to [7] for more details.
We are looking on the frequency that gives the better traveling wave performance on the beam
structure (better waveform, higher transverse displacement and higher robot speed). Using the
numerical model of the piezoelectric miniature robot given in equation (1), iterative simulations are
done at each frequency between two successive resonance frequencies for the two piezoelectric
patches positions. The frequency is chosen in simulation as the middle of two successive resonance
frequencies. Simulations show that the middle of the sixteenth and seventeenth resonance
frequencies (f16*17 = 11.1 kHz) is the optimal operating frequency.
Results showing traveling wave performance at this frequency are given in Figure 2. Comparing
figure to the pure traveling wave and pure standing wave, we get the traveling wave performance at
f16*17. Figure 2-left shows the transverse displacement in m of a mixture wave between traveling
wave and a standing wave projected on a plane of length (x) in
and time (t) in
of a flexural
beam. Figure 2-right shows the same wave but in another representation. It represents transverse
displacement in
through the length of the beam in
at each instant. As we can see from
Figure 2 at the location of the contact surface between the beam and the patches, the vibration is less
progressive than that in the position near the middle of the beam.

Fig. 2. Travelling wave performance in simulation at the middle of f16 & f17

Experimental implementation is shown in Figure 3. In this figure power amplifiers are used to
amplify signal provided by the signal generator to the piezoelectric patches.
Simulations show that the optimal operating frequency is between 10.5 kHz (sixth resonant
frequency) and 11.8 kHz (seventh resonant frequency). Experimentally, the optimal operating
frequency was equal to 11.3 kHz. The robot has the highest speed at this frequency.

3 Characterization of the robot

Speed as a function of voltage (Figure 4), speed as a function of embedded masses (Figure 5) and
speed as a function of mechanical load (Figure 6), are important in mobiles robotics applications.
That is why; they have been measured to characterize the piezoelectric miniature robot. Maximum
applied voltage was chosen equal to 30V according to the maximum peak to peak electric field
beyond which the piezoelectric material used is depolarized. All measurements here are taken at 11.3
kHz, the optimal operating frequency obtained experimentally. Figures 4 & 5 show almost linear
variations of both the applied voltage and the embedded masse with the robot speed. Also according
to Figure 6, this robot can provide 432 W at its nominal operating point (7.2 mN, 60 mm/s).

EPJ Web of Conferences

Fig. 3. Robot structure (1: power amplifiers, 2: robot body)

Fig. 5. Robot speed versus embedded mass

Fig. 4. Robot Speed versus applied voltage

Fig. 6. Robot speed versus mechanical load

References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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