Experiments with a new piezoelectric rotary actuator

A new type of linear piezoelectric stick-slip actuator was recently developed at the University of Cambridge. The actuator worked very well at some particular frequencies, but was poor at other frequencies. Quasi-static and dynamic experiments on the inner part of the actuator, which provides the driving force for the system, are carried out. These experiments on the PZT5H tube and the inertial mass explain why the performance of the actuator varies with frequency and why it moves at different speeds for forward and reverse excitation. A new piezoelectric stick-slip rotary actuator is presented and its performance is compared with existing actuators. Again, it is found that the actuator works very well at some particular frequencies, with angular velocities of up to 10 degree/s, angular resolutions as small as 0.2 arcsec and a rotation bandwidth of 2 /spl pi/ or more.