A three degree of freedom micro-motion in-parallel actuated manipulator

The advancement of microminiaturization and technologies has motivated the search for a technique that will permit precision manipulation on the scale of micrometers. This paper presents the development of a three-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) micromotion in-parallel actuated manipulator. The micromotion manipulator, which has one translation and two orientation freedoms, is actuated by piezoelectric effect. In particular, the paper presents a closed-form solution and an experimental verification of the forward kinematics. In addition, the dynamic model of the piezoelectric actuated link was determined experimentally providing a rational basis for the design and prismatic joint force control of the high-speed micromotion manipulator. A special configuration that approaches an optimal design, in terms of working range, rigidity, and bandwidth, has also been highlighted.