A novel piezo-actuated flapping mechanism based on inertia drive

Abstract

In this article, a novel piezo-actuated flapping mechanism based on inertia drive is proposed and developed. In comparison with the existing flapping mechanisms, the proposed one has a more direct driving form simply via a frictional contact without using any transmission mechanism like crank-rocker or crank-slider, making it easier for miniaturization. In addition, it could principally allow for an arbitrary form of flapping motion with unlimited stroke. The flapping principle and the rationale for an arbitrary form of flapping motion with unlimited stroke are presented. A prototype of the proposed flapping mechanism was constructed and tested. The ability in various modulations of flapping motion, including flapping amplitude, position, asymmetry between downstroke and upstroke flapping speeds, and frequency, is demonstrated.