Sensorless control of CuAlNi/KAPTON bimorph actuator

The recent development in smart material-based actuators are composite structures of thin film integrated SMA/PI bimorph in the view of actuator cum sensing in electromechanical systems for medical, robotics, and aerospace application. The purpose of the present work on integrated SMA/PI bimorph is to reveal their ability to perform as actuators and sensors and study on control characteristics for soft robotic, positioning, and valve applications. Vide this research paper, the SMA bimorph actuator [thin film SMA (CuAlNi)/polyimide (Kapton) bimorph] is used as actuator cum sensor for position control. Proposed a Proportional Derivative combined Variable Structure Controller (PD-VSC) to control the displacement by Joule heating actuation in two ways, which are sensor-based control and self-sensing control. From the control characteristics in from of tracking and disturbance rejection, it is concluded that the integrated CuAlNi/Kapton bimorph can be successfully implemented for soft robotic, positioning, and valve applications.