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Which would be a good location for SMA? — Parallax Forums

Which would be a good location for SMA?

Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,190
edited 2010-08-28 08:43 in General Discussion
Hello!
Robotics workers use SMA (Shape Metal Alloy) as actuators for some applications. Such as this collection, http://tinyurl.com/29ty37j they are basically all of them from that firm. This one is one of them that can be driven electrically http://tinyurl.com/2b3sp7q .

Of course the fact that the SMA stuff is considered to be a short to the driver circuit is the problem....

Anyway which forum area is a good place for them, because my manager device would be a basic stamp.

Comments

  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2010-08-28 08:19
    Which Forum area?
    I think the best place would be the Propeller Forum, where anything goes - that's what John R., ad nauseam, rationalize as a "spirit of community" or some BS.
    Yes, definitely, the Propeller Forum.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-08-28 08:43
    Shape metal alloys are essentially thermal dependent devices that use their own electrical resistance to change shape in one direction by getting hot. In the other direction, motion occurs with cooling.

    If you think about it, that means that [1] things happen relatively slow and [2] it takes a lot of power to produce enough heat. Since cooling may be even slower, one might even have to add fans or more sophisticated cooling devices (Peltier junction?).

    As of yet, I just haven't found anything that wants to be done slowly and with a lot of power. The attraction is that it is exotic. A lot of things that need motion can be done with solenoids or motors in a faster more economical fashion, and return can often be done with a mere mechanical spring.
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