Spike AA2: How We Engineered Amplified Motion Without Moving Parts

When we built Spike AA2, we weren’t just aiming for “another actuator.” We wanted something compact, precise, and mechanically honest. A device that could amplify microscopic motion without using a single gear, hinge, or motor.

The Problem: Piezo Power is Small. Too Small

Piezoelectric stacks are fascinating. Apply voltage, and they expand. But here’s the catch: they only grow by 0.1% of their length. That’s just microns. And while that's enough for high-end optics or scientific labs, it's not enough for robotics or embedded machines that need millimeters or speed.

So the question was: How do we turn microns into motion, without making things bulky or complex?

The Solution: Spike AA2

Spike AA2 is a compact, three-layered actuator built entirely from flat metal plates. Its job? To take that tiny motion from a piezo stack and amplify it 10× or more, purely through elastic deformation.

No gears. No bearings. No sliding parts.

Just clever geometry and material science.

When the piezo stack expands, it pushes on the internal slats of the frame. Because of the symmetrical design, the entire structure bends outward evenly, and the tip of the actuator moves forward. It behaves like a spring-loaded lever. Tiny input, big output.

What Makes It Different

Spike AA2 is built to be:

• Torsion-free: Unlike AA1, its symmetry prevents twisting even under load.

• Scalable: It can be manufactured from sheet metal, with or without advanced tooling.

• Solid-state: No lubrication, no magnetics, no rotating failure points.

• Embedded-friendly: Slim, planar, and low-profile enough to fit in tight systems.

• Compactness: It is very compact in comparison with other amplified actuators

  
  

Where We See It Going

We built this with real-world systems in mind:

• Surgical robotics

• Aerospace deployables

• Microfluidics and lab automation

• Haptic feedback devices

  
  

It’s fast. It’s silent. It’s durable. And it's fully open-source under CERN OHL v2.

If you're building something where space is tight and speed matters, this actuator might be the muscle you're missing.