This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental performance verification of a bidirectional rotary actuator using shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. To achieve more multifunctional and wider applicability in comparison with previously reported various types of SMA rotary actuator, a rotational driving mechanism based on wobble motor driving principle is devised and applied to the proposed rotary actuator. The rotational driving mechanism consists of a rotationally fixed rotor gear, a wobbling annular gear eccentrically engaged with the rotor gear, and three equal crankshafts. The wobbling motion of the annular gear is generated by sequentially activated three SMA wires, and this motion is guided as curvilinear translation due to triple parallel-crank-mechanism formed by the three crankshafts. Each SMA wire connected in series with a bias spring is electrically heated up, and it is cooled down by natural convection. In this research, a functional prototype is fabricated for experimental performance verification. For high gear efficiency, quiet and smooth operating, a cycloidal gear set is utilized for the actuator. With diverse activation sequencing methods, performance characterizations are conducted. The proposed SMA rotary actuator, based on its structural modularity and operational simplicity, is expected to be applied to diverse scientific and industrial fields.
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