Micro SMA actuator and motion control

To control a micromechatronic system, microsensors and microactuators are necessary. So far a lot of sensors made by using Si micromachining technology have been reported. On the other hand, only a few microactuators have been developed. Among these, micro SMA actuators have attracted strong attention because of their strong force, high power, faster response for their micro size and size reducibility by micromachining technology. In this plenary talk, the fabrication methods of micro SMA actuators and motion control using a micro SMA actuator are reviewed.