Application Cases

【Overview】
In this study, the Aigtek ATA-7030 high-voltage amplifier was used to build an experimental system for piezoelectric soft robots. A soft robot with a lotus-inspired structure was designed to achieve motion under a DC electric field. When integrated into a humanoid soft robot, it exhibited excellent electrostrictive performance. Furthermore, the developed robot demonstrated significant capabilities in climbing slopes and carrying heavy loads.

Experiment Name: Design of Piezoelectric Soft Robots

Research Direction: Piezoelectric Soft Robots

Experimental Content:
Through an asymmetric design, relaxor ferroelectric polymer films generate out-of-plane bending under an electric field. A laser vibrometer, signal generator, and power amplifier were combined to collect real-time displacement information at the tip of the relaxor ferroelectric film. Additionally, the signal generator and power amplifier were used together to directly drive the soft robot, and a camera recorded the time and displacement information of the soft robot under different driving frequencies and electric field strengths.

Testing Equipment:
Signal generator, ATA-7030 high-voltage amplifier, laser vibrometer, data acquisition card, camera, etc.

Experimental Procedure:

Figure: Schematic Diagram of the Experimental Test System

Figure: Physical Setup of the Experimental Test System

The signal generated by the signal generator was amplified by the power amplifier and applied across the relaxor ferroelectric polymer film. The asymmetric design of the film caused it to bend reciprocally under the influence of an alternating electric field. A laser vibrometer was used to monitor the displacement response of the film in real time at different frequencies and electric field strengths. The displacement hysteresis characteristics of the film under the electric field were analyzed by comparing the measured displacement data with the reference signal output from the signal generator. Subsequently, the relaxor ferroelectric polymer film was used as a functional layer to assemble the soft robot. The combination of the signal generator and power amplifier provided precise drive control. A camera recorded the motion time and displacement data of the robot under different electric field strengths and driving frequencies, and the driving speed was further calculated by analyzing these data. Finally, combined with the voltage and frequency of the electric field, an optimization analysis was performed on the system to explore structural design strategies for the soft robot.

Experimental Results:

Figure: Experimental Results

The relaxor ferroelectric polymer film exhibited millisecond-level hysteresis, which was almost  negligible, achieving millimeter-level displacement under a low electric field. As the film size decreased, the resonance frequency increased significantly. Taking a soft robot with dimensions of 7 mm × 10.5 mm as an example, its optimal operating frequency was 560 Hz, and it achieved a maximum driving speed of approximately 20 BL/s at an electric field strength of 100 kV/cm. The results demonstrate that through reasonable design and optimization, piezoelectric soft robots can achieve efficient and stable motion control, showing potential for application in complex tasks.

Advantages of Aigtek Amplifiers in This Application:

1. High voltage output capability – Generates a strong electric field, achieving millimeter-level displacement and high-speed driving.

2. Wide bandwidth and high-frequency response  the resonance frequency variations of robots of different sizes.

3. Low distortion and high output accuracy – Ensures precise measurement of millisecond-level hysteresis characteristics and accurate motion control.

Recommended Product: ATA-7030 High-Voltage Amplifier

Figure: ATA-7030 High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications and Parameters