Progress in Robots Driven by SMA Actuators and Their Control

Abstract

With the popularization of mechanical automation, informatization, and intelligence have become the development direction of future mechanical-related majors, and research related to robots has become a hot topic nowadays. Traditional robots often suffer from shortcomings such as poor adaptability, weak interaction capabilities, and limited functionality. Therefore, some scholars have researched emerging materials represented by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA). The flexibility, high power density, and other characteristics of SMA make it extremely promising for robotic applications. This article primarily introduces the current development status of robots driven by SMA actuators and reviews relevant research in recent years, aiming to explore their future applications. However, most current SMA actuator designs still have significant limitations. This article will summarize some of the more cutting-edge robots driven by SMA actuators and their control methods, analyze the corresponding experimental data in detail, summarize the degree of improvement made to SMA actuators in various studies, and strive to find the optimal solution, providing a plan for the research of SMA actuators.