Wireless inchworm using small tapped-inductor converter

This paper describes a wireless inchworm with a small battery and a control circuit which eliminate the effect of wiring tension. The inchworm consists of piezoelectric actuators and electromagnets. A converter with a high boost ratio is required to boost the voltage from the battery to the maximum applied voltage of the piezoelectric actuators. The boost converter with a tapped inductor achieves a high boost ratio of approximately 16.7. The input and output voltage for the resistive and capacitive load are measured experimentally. The wireless inchworm loads an onboard microprocessor which operates the electromagnets and piezoelectric actuators. The operation of the wireless inchworm powered by a small battery is described, and the linear displacement is measured. The experimental results show that the small battery can drive the wireless inchworm.