• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

This paper presents muscle-inspired serial digital actuators, achieving the improvement of the range-to-precision and range-to-voltage performance. We propose a weight-balanced design for the serial actuators with serpentine springs using serial arrangement of digital actuators. We have measured the displacement range, precision, and drive voltage at unit and serial actuation of 1Hz. The serial digital actuators produce a full range displacement of $28.44{\pm}0.02{\mu}m$, accumulating the unit displacement of $2.8{\pm}0.5{\mu}m$ at the operating voltage of $4.47{\pm}0.07V$. In addition, the serial digital actuators having the displacement precision of $37.94{\pm}6.26nm$ do not accumulate the precision of the unit actuators, $36.0{\pm}17.7nm$. We experimentally verify that the serial digital actuators achieve the range-to-squared-voltage ratio of $1.423{\mu}m/V^2$ and the range-to-precision ratio of 749.6.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2003.11c
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• pp.735-739
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• 2003

This paper presents a direct seek control algorithm for swing-arm type dual stage servo system that consists of a coarse actuator and a fine actuator. The proposed scheme is to design a control system that attenuates the effect of dynamic coupling between the two actuators so that the seek operation can be performed in a single-shot with stability. In an optical drive system with dual stage servo mechanism, the effect of dynamic coupling between the two actuators needs to be handled during the coarse seek operation due to its inherent structure. In an extreme case, the two actuators can collide each other, which leads to critical degradation of the seek performance. To handle this problem, our proposed control scheme is to generate the drive signals such that the two actuators behave as if they are a single fixed body. To this end, a feedforward controller and two feedback controllers are designed that enable the current drive system perform wide range of track seek. Simulation results are provided to show the validity and feasibility of our proposed algorithm.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.280-287
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• 2002

We present technical issues involved in the development of actuators and sensors for applications to high-precision Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS). The technical issues include fabrication uncertainty and noise disturbance, causing major difficulties for MEMS to achieve high-precision actuation and detection functions. For nano-precision actuators, we solve the fabrication instability and electrical noise problems using digital actuators coupled with nonlinear mechanical modulators. For the high-precision capacitive sensors, we present a branched finger electrodes using high-amplitude anti-phase sensing signals. We also demonstrate the potential applications of the nanoactuators and nanodetectors to high-precision positioning MEMS.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.39.1-39
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• 2002

We present nanoactuators and nanodetectors for high-precision Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) applications. Major technical difficulties in the high-precision MEMS are arising from the fabrication uncertainty and electrical noise problems. In this paper, we present high-precision actuators and detectors, overcoming the technical limitations placed by the conventional MEMS technology. For the nano-precision actuation, we present a nonlinearly modulated digital actuator (NMDA). NMDA composed of a digital microactuator and a nonlinear micromechanical modulator. The nonlinear micromechanical modulator is intended to purify the actuation errors in the stroke of the digital a...

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.557-560
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• 2010

We have designed a digital variable-focal-length liquid lens by using 4-bit actuators. Each bit actuator consists of 1, 2, 4, and 8 unit actuators, squeezes discrete fluidic volume of $2^4$ different levels into the lens The 4-bit digital actuation mode ($b_4b_3b_2b_1$) affords $2_4$ different lens curvatures and focal lengths. The on/off control of the bit actuators helps in solving the main problem associated with analog liquid lenses, i.e., precise control of the pressure or volume of the fluid for changing the lens curvature and focal length. Experimentally, it has been found that the 4-bit actuators allow 0.074 nl (${\pm}0.02\;nl$) of the given fluid per bit to enter the lens and help in increasing the focal length from 3.63 mm to 38.6 mm in $2^4$ different levels; no high-cost controllers are required for precise control of the pressure or volume in this case. Therefore, the present digital liquid lens is more suitable to integrated optical systems by reducing additional component for pressure and volume control.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1996

The objective of this paper is to develop a motion base for the vehicle driving simulator. Kinematic analysis are carried out to obtain maximum strokes and velocities of hydraulic actuators. Hydraulic control forces of the actuators are estimated by inverse dynamic analysis. Finally, an optimal design is performed to find attachment points of the actuators so that control forces are minimized. A control logic for the motion base is developed to make the motion base follow the given reference signals. The control logic is implemented on a digital signal processor(DSP) board.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.1843-1847
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• 2012

Piezo devices have large power density and simple structure. They can generate larger force than the conventional actuators. It has also wide bandwidth with fast response in a compact size. Thus the piezo devices are expected to be used widely in the future for small actuators with fast response time and large actuating force. However, the piezo actuators need high voltage with high driving current due to their large capacitive property. In this paper, we propose a simple method to drive piezo devices using voltage inversion circuit with coil inductance. Experiments with real circuit demonstrates that the proposed scheme can improve the energy efficiency very much.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.823-830
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• 2008

We present a high-accuracy digital-to-analog (DA) actuator using a load spring, specially designed to compensate the output displacement errors caused by fabrication errors. The compensated linear DA actuator is capable to change the slope of input-output modulation line in order to compensate fabrication errors. We design, fabricate, and characterize three different prototypes: one uncompensated design and two compensated designs respectively for a specific value and for a given range of fabrication error. The compensated linear DA actuators show the output displacement errors of $-0.20{\pm}0.23{\mu}m\;and\;-0.13{\pm}0.18{\mu}m$, respectively, reduced by 64.3% and 76.8% of the output displacement error, $0.56{\pm}0.20{\mu}m$, produced by the conventional uncompensated linear DA actuator. We experimentally verify the fabrication error compensation capability of the present compensated linear DA actuators, thus demonstrating high-accuracy actuation performance immune to fabrication errors.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2018

Digital input and output modules are widely used to connect digital sensors and actuators to automation systems. Digital I/O modules provide flexible connectivity extension to numerous sensors and actuators and protect systems from high voltages and currents by isolation. Components in digital I/O modules are inevitably affected by operating and environmental conditions, such as high voltage, high current, high temperature, and temperature cycling. Because digital I/O modules transfer signals or isolate the systems from unexpected voltage and current transients, their failures may result in signal transmission failures and damages to sensitive circuitry leading to system malfunction and system shutdown. In this study, the lifetime of optocouplers, one of the critical components in digital I/O modules, was predicted using Bayesian tracking approaches. Accelerated degradation tests were conducted for collecting the critical performance parameter of optocouplers, current transfer ratio (CTR), during their lifetime. Bayesian tracking approaches, including extended Kalman filter and particle filter, were applied to predict the failure. The performance of each prognostic algorithm was then compared using accuracy and robustness-based performance metrics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.709-712
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• 2003

The existing technical limitation makes engineer imitate nature to solve engineering problems. Recently Micro Air Vehicle(MAV) imitating the mechanism of birds or insects is being developed. Especially Ultra Flite supported by DARPA is studying hummingbird aerodynamics to relate that information to MAV. To drive MAV bender piezoelectric(PZT) actuators are used due to the convinience of control and the small size. But the displacement of the PZT actuators are very small, and the wing driving mechanism which amplifies the stroke generated by the PZT actuators has constraints in design and manufacture because of the small dimension. In this paper a wing design concept and a efficient driving mechanism are proposed. Electroactive polymers(EAPs) are used as wing mechanism actuators. Using OpenGL the mechanisms are simulated graphically. Also a prototype actuator is being developed and verified by digital Mockup with CATIA. Basic kinematics of the mechanism is studied.