INTRODUCTION Compliant gripping mechanisms are particularly suited for precision manipulation of microand nanoscale objects by virtue of having zero backlash, no parasitic columbic friction effects, and often only requiring one actuator to close two gripping faces symmetrically about a centerline of action. Many previous compliant gripping mechanisms use a parallelogram structure (Fig. 1a) to c...

In the scanning electron microscope (SEM), specially designed microrobots can act as a flexible assembly facility for hybrid microsystems, as probing devices for in-situ tests on IC structures or just as a helpful teleoperated tool for the SEM operator when examining samples. Several flexible microrobots of this kind have been developed and tested. Driven by piezoactuators, these few cubic cent...

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are used in different applications such as automotive, biomedical, aerospace and communication technologies. They create new functionalities and contribute to miniaturize the systems and reduce their costs. However, the reliability of MEMS is one of their major concerns. They suffer from different failure mechanisms which impact their performance, reduce th...