Recent trends in bionic stepping piezoelectric actuators for precision positioning: A review

The demand of high-precision positioning in various industrial fields has extensively promoted the research and development of precision actuators. Bionic stepping piezoelectric actuator is a representative category of precision actuators, it imitates the movements and structures of different creatures. They are generally classified into three categories according to their different bionic principles: inchworm type, seal type, and walking type. Different bionic modes endow them with varying output characteristics and broaden their application potentials with high output force, high speed, and high resolution. The present review intends to bring out the latest advancement in the field of bionic stepping piezoelectric actuators, which throws light on the working principle, representative designs, and performances of each type of bionic stepping piezoelectric actuators. A conclusion and several future prospects of technology development toward bionic stepping piezoelectric actuators for precision positioning applications are discussed. This paper also guides designing appropriate bionic actuators according to the actual demands and proposing new actuators with high performances.