Carbon Nanotube Bimorph Actuators and Force Sensors

A proposal has been made to develop bimorph actuators and force sensors based on carbon nanotubes. The proposed devices could make it possible to generate, sense, and control displacements and forces on a molecular scale, and could readily be integrated with conventional electronic circuits. These devices could also enable the development of a variety of novel microelectromechanical systems, including low-power mechanical signal processors, nanoscale actuators and force sensors, and even microscopic robots.