A Lightweight Surface Milli-Walker Based on Piezoelectric Actuation

To realize an efficient translation in a narrow space, a surface milli-walker based on linear piezoelectric actuation is proposed, fabricated, and tested in this paper. Operating at the second-order out-of-plane flexural vibration mode, the proposed surface walker is able to realize a linear movement on demand. The surface walker has a weight of 0.135 g with package size of 6 × 2 × 2 mm. Experimental results show that the maximum velocity and drag force of the walker can reach up to 200 mm/s and 10 mN, respectively. The velocity of the walker can be smoothly adjusted over a range of 0.15-200 mm/s. In addition, its startup time is as quick as 6 ms. The milli-walker holds great promises for numerous potential applications in precise instruments.