A planar XY robotic fine positioning device

We describe in this paper a small, fast, precise positioner which can be attached to the terminal link of a general purpose robot for assembly and inspection tasks. The device is a very compact combination of two-dimensional linear motor, flexure springs, position sensor and digital controller. Peak velocities and accelerations of 24.8 cm/sec and 8.7 g are achieved. Positioning resolution is 0.5 μm using the built-in sensor, and compliance can be varied dynamically by the digital controller loop gain. Design considerations, discussion of the major elements of the device, and performance measurements are presented.