MRI Compatible Integrated Piezoelectric Harmonic Actuator

Designed a zero backlash actuator to be compatible with a brain surgery robot for doing operations inside an MRI machine. I created (designed, prototyped, and fabricated) a solution that utilized a plastic harmonic drive gearbox integrated with a piezo-motor inside the flex spline to create a more compact actuator. This combined with innovations from the team such as using plastic for the piezo-motor's stator, led to the creation of a prototype actuator that is precise, MRI safe, and completely non-metallic.