TACTILE DETECTION PERFORMED BY SME ACTUATOR.

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) are considered to be devices which convert thermal energy into mechanical energy. Using this material, it is possible not only to simplify the usual mechanical control systems, but also to develop the new type mechanism which has solid structure to be microminiaturized. Authors have researched the development of microminiature size robots and manipulators applied the Shape Memory Effect (SME) and have developed SME servo actuator system in which the electric resistance variation following the recovery strain of Ti-Ni SMA instead of the conventional positioning sensor, such as a potentiometer, is detected. This paper describes a new method of tactile and force detection performed by the continuous observation of resistance variation in the SME servo system.