The wobble motor: an electrostatic, planetary-armature, microactuator
A variety of micromotor concepts has been evaluated, with the wobble motor (WM) approach being one of those selected for extensive study. Various WM configurations have been analytically evaluated using finite-element methods and closed-form solutions. Important performance characteristics have been estimated such as stall torque and free speed, and alternate strategies for motor control have been examined. Five motor configurations and a variety of silicon-based and non-silicon-based fabrication techniques have been examined in detail. In exploratory exercises, motors have been fabricated using direct mechanical assembly, electro-discharge machining (EDM), cylindrical photolithographic etching, and coextrusion of metal and plastic. The EDM approach was selected as the motor alternative which could function as an experimental testbed. Fifteen EDM WMs have been constructed and utilized for experimental purposes. Experiments aimed at generating simple preliminary data have been conducted, and results compare reasonably to analytical studies.<<ETX>>