A Wire-Driven Series Elastic Mechanism Based on Ultrasonic Motor for Walking Assistive System

In order to improve the elderly people's quality of life,supporting their walking behaviors is a promising technology.Therefore,based on one ultrasonic motor,a wire-driven series elastic mechanism for walking assistive system is proposed and investigated in this research.In contrast to tradition,it innovatively utilizes an ultrasonic motor and a wire-driven series elastic mechanism to achieve superior system performances in aspects of simple structure,high torque/weight ratio,quiet operation,quick response,favorable electromagnetic compatibility,strong shock resistance,better safety,and accurately stable force control.The proposed device is mainly composed of an ultrasonic motor,a linear spring,a steel wire,four pulleys and one rotating part.To overcome the ultrasonic motor's insufficient output torque,a steel wire and pulleys are smartly combined to directly magnify the torque instead of using a conventional gear reducer.Among the pulleys,there is one tailored pulley playing an important role to keep the reduction ratio as 4.5 constantly.Meanwhile,the prototype is manufactured and its actual performance is verified by experimental results.In a one-second operating cycle,it only takes 86 ms for this mechanism to output an assistive torque of 1.6 N·m.At this torque,the ultrasonic motor's speed is around 4.1 rad/s.Moreover,experiments with different operation periods have been conducted for different application scenarios.This study provides a useful idea for the application of ultrasonic motor in walking assistance system.

LEAD SCREW LINEAR ULTRASONIC MOTOR USING BENDING VIBRATION MODES

The operating principle of a lead screw linear ultrasonic motor using bending vibration modes is analyzed. The simplified beam bending vibration model is used to analyze the dynamics characteristics of the motor. Motion trajectory equations are derived for driving points of the stator. The motor operation and driving mechanisms are investigated. The vibration modes and the construction of the motor are analyzed by using the finite element method （FEM）. A prototype motor is built and its stator dimension is 13 mm × 13 mm× 30 mm. The motor is experimentally characterized and the maximum output force of 5- 2 N is obtained.

TWO DOF POSITIONING STAGE USING LINEAR ULTRASONIC MOTORS

A two degrees of freedom （DOF） positioning stage using novel linear ultrasonic motors is presented. The stage mainly consists of two linear ultrasonic motors, linear guides and tables. It can realize the long stroke and reversible controlled motion in two directions. The wheel-shape linear ultrasonic motor applied in the stage utilizes two fourth-bending modes of non-uniform beam in orthogonal directions. Quick response, no backlash, high resolution, power-off self-braking, and long stroke are the attractive characteristics of the linear positioning stage. Experimental results show that z and y-direction tables can reach the destination without overshoot and the error is less than 2μm by using two linear encoders with a resolution of 1 μm. In the open-loop mode, the positioning stage achieves 1μm resolution at 0. 25 ms driving time.

NEW TYPE OF LINEAR ULTRASONIC MOTOR WITH TWO DEGREES OF FREEDOM USING LONGITUDINAL AND BENDING MODE

A new type of linear ultrasonic motor with two degrees of freedom (DOF) motion is presented. The concept of the new typical motor is based on the combination of a longitudinal and two bending modes. The construction and the operational principle of motor are described, and the elliptical motion of the driving point of the actuator is proved. Meanwhile, a prototype linear motor is designed by using the finite element method (FEM) and is constructed for experiments. The vibration modes are tested with the laser doppler vibrometer (PSV-300F), and the experimental results prove that the design requirements on the mode shape of the actuator and nature frequency are satisfied. The test run of the motor indicates that the operational principle of the motor and the design results are correct, and the output properties are also tested.

LINEAR ULTRASONIC MOTOR USING LONGITUDINAL VIBRATION

A linear ultrasonic motor using longitudinal vibration of bar with varying section is proposed. The lin- ear ultrasonic motor has two varying section bars connected by semi-circumferential structure. Elliptical trajecto- ries of particles are formed on top of the semi-circumferential structure outer surface where a driving foot is locat- ed. And a mover is pushed to move linearly when the driving foot is pressed onto it. Finite element model of sta- tor is built and results of harmonic analysis verify its principle. Moreover, design requirements of the motor are analyzed through finite element analysis and the results of sensitive analysis provide an efficient way to design the type of linear ultrasonic motor. Prototype test shows that the motor can afford load of 10 N at the speed of 100 mm/s.

A NEW CONTROL METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC MOTOR

A new method for the control of the speed of an ultrasonic motor and its implementation are proposed. The method is merely used by detecting the time when motor′s monitor signal reaches a non zero reference value than a zero one, the direction, in which the driving frequency of the motor should be shifted, can be promptly calculated. With the aid of a CPU and the phase locked frequency doubling technique, the motor can be steadily driven in a wide range of frequency and the optimum frequency can be captured rapidly and precisely. Experiment shows that the above method is available.

ELLIPTIC MOTIONS ON MODAL CONVERSION ULTRASONIC MOTORS

The forming of elliptic motions on the modal conversion ultrasonic motors （MCUMs） is discussed. The principles of the modal conversion are investigated based on the coupling with the stator and the rotor, and using an independent coupler. The elliptical locus observed on the longitudinal-torslonal vibration converter with oblique slits is analyzed by using vibration theory. A method for the modal conversion is proposed by using the local mode of a substructure On a main structure. The method can be used to design the modal conversion type ultrasonic motors.

LINEAR ULTRASONIC MOTOR WITH 2-DOF USING LONG-ITUDINAL AND BENDING VIBRATION MODES

A two-degree-of-freedom（2-DOF） linear ultrasonic motor （USM） consists of a cylinder-shaped stator and a slider. Two bending vibration modes with orthogonality and one longitudinal vibration mode are excited in the stator by three groups of piezoelectric ceramic elements. The combinations of any one bending mode and the longitudinal mode mentioned above push the slider to move linearly in direction x or y. Some key issues for improving the motor output properties and efficiency are given. They include selection of the vibration modes, consistency of the modal frequencies, placement of the piezoelectric ceramic elements and the supporting plane, setting of pre-pressure, and influence of interfering modes.

Modelling of ultrasonic motor with dead-zone based on Hammerstein model structure

The ultrasonic motor (USM) possesses heavy nonlinearities which vary with driving conditions and load-dependent characteristics such as the dead-zone. In this paper, an identification method for the rotary travelling-wave type ultrasonic motor (RTWUSM) with dead-zone is proposed based on a modified Hammerstein model structure. The driving voltage contributing effect on the nonlinearities of the RTWUSM was transformed to the change of dynamic parameters against the driving voltage. The dead-zone of the RTWUSM is identified based upon the above transformation. Experiment results showed good agreement be- tween the output of the proposed model and actual measured output.

Optimal design of butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor using finite element method and response surface methodology

A new method for optimizing a butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor was proposed to maximize its mechanical output. The finite element analysis technology and response surface methodology were combined together to realize the optimal design of the butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor. First, the operation principle of the motor was introduced. Second, the finite element parameterized model of the stator of the motor was built using ANSYS parametric design language and some structure parameters of the stator were selected as design variables. Third, the sample points were selected in design variable space using latin hypercube Design. Through modal analysis and harmonic response analysis of the stator based on these sample points, the target responses were obtained. These sample points and response values were combined together to build a response surface model. Finally, the simplex method was used to find the optimal solution. The experimental results showed that many aspects of the design requirements of the butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor have been fulfilled. The prototype motor fabricated based on the optimal design result exhibited considerably high dynamic performance, such as no-load speed of 873 ram/s, maximal thrust of 27.5 N, maximal efficiency of 43%, and thrust-weight ratio of 45.8.

Novel high torque bearingless two-sided rotary ultrasonic motor

Applications are limited at present because the currently available ultrasonic motors (USMs) do not provide suffi-ciently high torque and power. The conventional travelling-wave USM needs the bearing to support, which required lubricant. To solve the above problem, a bearingless travelling-wave USM is designed. First, a novel structure of the two-sided USM consisting of a two-sided teeth stator and two disk-type rotors is designed. And the excitation principle of the two-sided travelling-wave USM is analyzed. Then, using ANSYS software, we set up the model of the stator to predict the excitation frequency and modal response of the stator. The shape of the vibration mode was obtained. Last, the load characteristics of the USM are measured using ex-perimental method. The maximum stall torque and the no-load speed were obtained. The results showed that the characteristics of the two-sided USM are better than those of the conventional one-sided USM.

Contact Analysis and Modeling of Standing Wave Linear Ultrasonic Motor

A contact model for describing the contact mechanics between the stator and slider of the standing wave linear ultrasonic motor was presented. The proposed model starts from the assumption that the vibration characteristics of the stator is not affected by the contact process. A modified friction models was used to analyze the contact problems. Firstly, the dynamic normal contact force, interface friction force, and steady-state characteristics were analyzed. Secondly, the influences of the contact layer material, the dynamic characteristics of the stator, and the pre-load on motor performance were simulated. Finally, to validate the contact model, a linear ultrasonic motor based on in-plane modes was used as an example. The corresponding results show that a set of simulation of motor performances based on the proposed contact mechanism is in good agreement with experimental results. This model is helpful to understanding the operation principle of the standing wave linear motor and thus contributes to the design of these types of motor.

Principle and Experimental Verification of Novel Dual Driving Face Rotary Ultrasonic Motor

Existing rotary ultrasonic motors operating in extreme environments cannot meet the requirements of good environmental adaptability and compact structure at same time,and existing ultrasonic motors with Langevin transducers show better environmental adaptability,but size of these motors are usually big due to the radial arrangement of the Langevin transducers.A novel dual driving face rotary ultrasonic motor is proposed,and its working principle is experimentally verified.The working principle of the novel ultrasonic motor is firstly proposed.The 5th in-plane flexural vibration travelling wave,excited by the Langevin transducers around the stator ring,is used to drive the rotors.Then the finite element method is used in the determination of dimensions of the prototype motor,and the confirmation of its working principle.After that,a laser Doppler vibrometer system is used for measuring the resonance frequency and vibration amplitude of the stator.At last,output characteristics of the prototype motor are measured,environmental adaptability is tested and performance for driving a metal ball is also investigated.At room temperature and 200 V(zero to peak) driving voltage,the motor’s no-load speed is 80 r/min,the stalling torque is 0.35 N·m and the maximum output power is 0.85 W.The response time of this motor is 0.96 ms at the room temperature,and it decreases or increases little in cold environment.A metal ball driven by the motor can rotate at 210 r/min with the driving voltage 300 V(zero to peak).Results indicate that the prototype motor has a large output torque and good environmental adaptability.A rotary ultrasonic motor owning compact structure and good environmental adaptability is proposed,and lays the foundations of ultrasonic motors’ applications in extreme environments.

A Novel Traveling Wave Ultrasonic Motor Using a Bar Shaped Transducer

A novel traveling wave ultrasonic motor was proposed. The structure of the motor is rather simple and different from the conventional traveling wave ultrasonic motors. Its production processes are very convenient. It is composed of a stator constituted with a ring and a bar shaped transducer and two cone shaped rotors. The rotors were pressed on inner surface of the ring by means of a pre-pressure system. The bar shaped transducer has a sand- wich-like configuration,where two sets of piezoelectric element are bolted. One set excites a longitudinal vibration of the bar, and the other set excites a flexural vibration of the bar. The ring＇s traveling wave excited with the longitudinal vibration and the bending vibration of the bar transducer was simulated with FEM （finite element method）. The prototype of the motor was made and investigated experimentally for its performance. Its maximum torque and rotating speed are 0.25 N · m and 50 r/min, respectively.

OPTIMAL DESIGN FOR STATOR OF THREE-DOF ULTRASONIC MOTOR

A 3-DOF ultrasonic motor with a cylinder-shaped stator and a spherical rotor is developed. The motor provides 3-DOF rotation around x, y, and z-axes implemented by two second order bending modes with orthogonality and one first order longitudinal mode of the stator. The three modes must satisfy some conditions. In our previous research, in order to satisfy these conditions, a parameter fitting design method is used. However, it is an experiential design method with low efficiency and costs much time, sometimes it even cannot find a desired solution. This paper puts forward an optimal design method for the stator. Based on the method, an optimization program is developed in MATLAB environment. Using the program, a new prototype of 3-DOF ultrasonic motor is designed. Its stator has diameter of 20 mm, height of 67 mm, and mass of 157 g. Experimental results show that the measured stators′ modal frequencies and modal shapes are in good consistent agreement with the results obtained by the optimal design program.

Working principle and design of a double cylinders type traveling wave ultrasonic motor using composite transducer

A double cylinders type traveling wave ultrasonic motor using composite transducer was proposed.The proposed stator contained two cylinders and one composite transducer,and the transducer located on the outer surfaces of cylinders.The composite transducer included two exponential horns located on leading ends,and the horns insected with the cylinders at tip ends.Two degenerated flexural vibration modes spatially and temporally orthogonal to each other were excited in each cylinder by the composite transducer.In this new design,a single transducer could excite two flexural traveling waves in the cylinders.Thus,elliptical motions were achieved at the particles on the teeth.The working principle of the proposed motor was analyzed.The cylinder and transducer were designed with FEM.The resonant frequencies of two vibration modals of the stator were tuned to be the same,and the motion trajectories of nodes on the teeth were analyzed.Transient analysis results show that the motion trajectories of teeth are ellipses.The results of this paper can guide the development of this new type of ultrasonic motor.

Transient Response Model of Standing Wave Piezoelectric Linear Ultrasonic Motor

A transient response model for describing the starting and stopping characteristics of the standing wave piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motor was presented. Based on the contact dynamic model, the kinetic equation of the motor was derived. The starting and stopping characteristics of the standing wave piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motor according to different loads, contact stiffness and inertia mass were described and analyzed, respectively. To validate the transient response model, a standing wave piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motor based on in-plane modes was used to carry out the simulation and experimental study. The corresponding results showed that the simulation of the motor performances based on the proposed model agreed well with the experimental results. This model will helpful to improve the stepping characteristics and the control flexibility of the standing wave piezoelectric linear ultrasonic motor.

A new hybrid piezoelectric ultrasonic motor with two stators

A new hybrid piezoelectric ultrasonic motor, which consists of one rotor and two stators, was proposed in this paper. In order to match the resonance frequencies of longitudinal vibration and torsional vibration excited in the stators, a symmetrical structure was adopted in design of the motor. A so-called mass matching method, namely adding two rings to the outside circumference of the two stators respectively, was used to adjust the resonance frequencies of these two vibrations. A finite element model was developed using ANSYS software for the purpose of analyzing the resonance frequencies of longitudinal vibration and torsional vibration as well as the function of the adjusting rings. The results show that the resonance frequency of torsional vibration varies with the position of the ring, but the resonance frequency of longitudinal vibration changes little. By means of adjusting the mass and the position of the rings, the first order resonance frequency of longitudinal vibration is coincided with that of torsional vibration and the value is 20.75kHz. An experimental prototype motor was fabricated according to the analytical results and its performance is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. The speed of motor reaches the maximum 92r/min at the working frequency 19.0kHz.

A novel two-degree-of-freedom spherical ultrasonic motor using three travelling-wave type annular stators

In order to promote the tolerance and controllability of the multi-degree-of-freedom(M-DOF) ultrasonic motor, a novel two-degree-of-freedom(2-DOF) spherical ultrasonic motor using three traveling-wave type annular stators was put forward. Firstly,the structure and working principle of this motor were introduced, especially a spiral spring as the preload applied component was designed for adaptive adjustment. Then, the friction drive model of 2-DOF spherical motor was built up from spatial geometric relation between three annular stators and the spherical rotor which was used to analyze the mechanical characteristics of the motor.The optimal control strategy for minimum norm solution of three stators' angular velocity was proposed, using Moore-Penrose generalized inverse matrix. Finally, a 2-DOF prototype was fabricated and tested, which ran stably and controllably. The maximum no-load velocity and stall torque are 92 r/min and 90 m N·m, respectively. The 2-DOF spherical ultrasonic motor has compact structure, easy assembly, good performance and stable operation.

Driving characteristics of octagon-type ultrasonic motor

Structure of the octagon-type ultrasonic motor was proposed and designed so as to allow the motor to drive small actuator. The stator of the motor consisted of the octagon shape elastic body and four rectangular plate ceramics. The four ceramics were attached to outer surfaces of the octagon elastic body. The same phase voltages were applied to the ceramics on horizontal surfaces, and 90° phase difference voltages were applied to the ceramics on vertical surfaces. When the AC voltage with 90° phase difference was applied in ceramics, the elliptical displacement of unimorph bars was generated by generating bending vibration. To find the maximum displacement model that generates elliptical displacement at the centers of the inner surfaces, the finite element analysis program ATILA was used. The analyzed results were compared to the experimental results. As a result, the speed and torque are increased linearly by increasing the input voltage and the speed of motors can be controlled by changing the applied voltages.