# Design, Modeling, and Experiment Characterization of a Piezoelectric Inchworm Actuator for Long-Stroke and High-Resolution Positioning

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new piezoelectric actuator that can move with both large strokes and high precision.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in combining stepping and scanning modes in a single piezoelectric actuator design.

## Key findings

- The actuator achieves a maximum speed of 367 μm/s.
- It provides a resolution of 0.02 μm in scanning mode.
- The design was validated through theoretical modeling and experiments.

## Abstract

In this paper, a new type of actuator was presented. The actuator has two modes, stepping and scanning modes. The stepping mode can achieve large stroke through motion accumulation, while the scanning mode can enable high-resolution driving. The mechanical structure and the operating principles of the actuator were described. The structure and the model of the clamping units and driving unit were designed by theoretical modeling and finite element simulation analysis. Finally, a prototype was fabricated, and the experiment results revealed that the actuator achieves a maximum speed of 367 μm/s and a resolution of 0.02 μm.