Piezoelectric MEMS/NEMS: Actuators, Sensors, and Energy Harvesters

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Miniaturized and Micro Actuators".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 123

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: design and optimization of vibration energy harvesters; vibration mechanics in industrial and underactuated robotic systems; modal analysis of complex multi body structures

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: vibration energy harvesting; modelling and dynamics of vehicles; optimization; control of mechanical systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, the request of micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) is continuously increasing due to the possibility of miniaturization and integration across a wide range of applications. Piezoelectric materials are a promising solution to efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, and vice versa. Although researchers are making significant progress in this area, significant challenges remain.

These include the integration of high‑performance piezoelectric materials into complex microfabrication workflows, the need for robust multi-physical modelling at micro‑ and nanoscale dimensions, long‑term reliability, and the pursuit of higher electromechanical coupling for improved efficiency.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances in piezoelectric MEMS/NEMS technologies for actuation, sensing, and energy harvesting.

We welcome contributions that address challenges about piezoelectric materials, device design based on piezoelectric MEMS/NEMS, modelling and simulation of piezoelectric devices, and practical real-world applications. Both fundamental studies and application research are welcome, including experimental, theoretical, and numerical works.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Hybrid vibration energy harvesting from different excitation sources (flow-induced vibrations, raindrop impacts, environmental vibrations)
  • Vibration energy harvesting from vehicles
  • Piezoelectric films for MEMS/NEMS
  • MEMS/NEMS actuators for locomotion
  • Piezoelectric sensors for structural monitoring, vibration, and acoustic
  • Micro‑ and nanoscale energy harvesters for IoT and autonomous systems
  • Multiphysics modelling, simulation, and optimization of piezoelectric devices
  • Reliability, fatigue, and long‑term performance of piezoelectric MEMS/NEMS
  • Application of vibration energy harvesting in robotics, biomedical devices, and wearable systems

Dr. Michele Tonan
Dr. Stefano Lovato
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • piezoelectric material
  • vibration energy harvesting
  • hybrid energy harvesting
  • piezoelectric actuators
  • vehicle vibrations
  • IoT sensors
  • flow-induced vibrations

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This special issue is now open for submission.
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