Micro actuation and memory alloys Available to Purchase

Drawing on the events of two recent motor and actuator technology conferences, reports a renewed interest in electromagnetic products. Looks, in particular, at the flat transformer which, unlike the square transformer, overcomes problems of heat generation and dissipation. Discusses the recent developments of the electrostatic micromotor and the many applications which exist for motors of this size, for instance in micro‐robots and micro‐grippers, and other new ideas such as the adhesive micro‐gripper, the piezo‐electric actuator, different shape memory alloy (SMA) profiles and applications, including a miniature inspection robot and exploitation of SMA’s superelastic qualities.