{{Short description|Type of microscopic servomechanism}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2025}}
A '''microactuator''' is a microscopic servomechanism that supplies and transmits a measured amount of energy for the operation of another mechanism or system. As a general actuator, following standards have to be met: * Large travel * High precision * Fast switching * Low power consumption * Power free force sustainability For microactuator, there are two in addition * Microstructurability * Integrability
==Principle of microactuators== The basic principle can be described as the expression for mechanical work<br /> <math>W=\overrightarrow{F}\cdot \Delta \overrightarrow{r}</math> <br /> since an actuator is to manipulate positions and therefore force is needed. For different kind of microactuators, different physical principles are applied.
==Classes of microactuators== Sources:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fujita |first1=Hiroyuki |last2=Toshiyoshi |first2=Hiroshi |title=Micro actuators and their applications |journal=Microelectronics Journal |date=1998 |volume=29 |issue=9 |pages=637–640 |doi=10.1016/S0026-2692(98)00027-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=D. |last2=Burdess |first2=J. S. |last3=Harris |first3=A. J. |title=Actuators and their mechanisms in microengineering |journal=IEE Colloquium on Actuator Technology: Current Practice and New Developments (Digest No: 1996/110) |date=1996 |pages=7/1–7/3 |doi=10.1049/ic:19960698}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ma |first1=Z. C. |last2=Fan |first2=J. |last3=Wang |first3=H. |last4=Chen |first4=W. |last5=Yang |first5=G. Z. |last6=Han |first6=B. |title=Microfluidic Approaches for Microactuators: From Fabrication, Actuation, to Functionalization |journal=Small |date=2023 |volume=19 |issue=22 |doi=10.1002/smll.202300469 |pmid=36855777}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yoshida |first1=K. |last2=Park |first2=J. H. |last3=Yano |first3=H. |last4=Yokota |first4=S. |last5=Yun |first5=S. |title=Study of Valve-Integrated Microactuator Using Homogeneous Electro-Rheological Fluid |journal=Sensors and Materials |date=2005 |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=97-112 |url=https://sensors.myu-group.co.jp/sm_pdf/SM590.pdf}}</ref> *Electrostatic *Electromagnetic *Piezoelectric *Fluid *Thermal
==See also== *Newton's laws *Euler–Bernoulli beam equation *Electrostatics *Electromagnetism *Piezoelectricity *Microfluidics *Sensors *Nanotube nanomotor
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:Microtechnology Category:Actuators