Key technologies in active microvibration isolation systems: Modeling, sensing, actuation, and control algorithms

Low-amplitude and wide-frequency bands characterize microvibrations and can severely degrade the working accuracy of sensitive payloads. Notably, active microvibration isolation systems (AMISs) are more effective for expanding the effective bandwidth and improving the vibration isolation performance than other approaches, such as passive and semi-active methods. Accordingly, our research has focused on the key technologies used in AMISs over recent decades and their further development. In this study, we review the key technologies, such as the systematic dynamics methodology, sensing, actuation, and controller design. The approaches of dynamics modeling and decoupling determine the controller design for increased control accuracy. Sensors and actuators are the sensing and actuation elements of AMISs, and their intrinsic properties significantly affect the microvibration isolation performance. The authors believe that smart material actuators, such as piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, and dielectric elastomer actuators, will be popular research topics for a long time. For the controller design, control strategies, control architectures, and advanced control algorithms, such as fuzzy logic and neural networks, determine the controller performance with regard to control accuracy, reliability, and stability. This work presents a state-of-the-art review of the key technologies with active vibration control that can be employed in microvibration rejection. To conclude the paper, the current challenges, future opportunities, and directions are presented.