A Monolithic Flexible Transmission for Piezoelectric Actuators

The design, fabrication, and assembly of mesoscale robots can require expensive manufacturing equipment with multiple fabrication and assembly steps. This work presents the design of a monolithic transmission through the use of compliant mechanisms. The transmission mechanism is modelled using finite element analysis and is used to determine critical parameters for the conversion of small linear displacement to large rotational motion. Three monolithic prototypes are fabricated simultaneously via additive manufacturing, allowing for multiple designs to be investigated. The three transmission designs are then experimentally tested to determine the effectiveness and accuracy of the mechanism.