The acoustic radiation force acts on particles suspended in a fluid in which acoustic waves are present. It can be used to establish a force field throughout the fluid volume capable of positioning the particles in predictable locations. Here, a device is developed which positions the particles in a single line by the sequential use of two excitation frequencies which have been identified by a ...

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a device able to exchange the tip part (so-called the tools) of a two fingered microgripper. The principle of this tool changer is based on the use of a thermal glue whose state (liquid or solid) is changed by heating or cooling. Several kinds of pairs of tools have been designed. The suitable pair of tools can be chosen accord...

A design of a high-force-output large-deeection parallel-plate electrostatically actuated microgripper is described. This design uses polysilicon as a structural material and may be fabricated using an IC-based surface machining process. This paper shows that by using a position feedback controller, this microgripper can be stabilized in theory, which is supported by computer simulations. Preli...

This paper describes the process of bonding a MEMS (Micro-ElectroMechanical System) microgripper to the distal end of a robotic manipulator arm using a molten solder bonding technique. This task is part of ongoing work which involves the development of a general microassembly workstation. The goal of this workstation is to construct 3-D microstructures from MEMS subcomponents. The microgrippers...

ABSTRACT Photonics is a field that straddles both the macro and micro worlds. It largely deals with macro-scale devices, but many of these require sub-micron-scale precision in assembly. This makes it a very interesting application domain. We describe a microgripper for microassembly of photonic devices and micro-exploration of the properties of sub-micron attachment means (such as solder and U...

This paper reports on an experimental microassembly workcell developed for efficient and reliable 3D assembly of large numbers of micromachined thin metal parts into micromachined holes in 4 inch silicon wafers. The major objective is to integrate techniques of microgripper design, microscopic imaging and high precision motion control to build a prototype system for industrial applications. The...

This paper describes a novel microgripper, fabricated in superelastic alloy (Ni50.8Ti49.2) by wired micro Electro Discharge Machining (μEDM). The main features of the new microgripper are fabrication technology (μEDM) and exploited material (superelastic alloy); the gripper was sensorized with commercial semiconductor strain-gauges and implemented in the force-feedback micromanipulation worksta...

Cellular force sensing and control techniques are capable of enhancing the dexterity and reliability of microrobotic cell manipulation systems. This paper presents a vision-based cellular force sensing technique using a microfabricated elastic cell holding device and a sub-pixel visual tracking algorithm for resolving forces down to 3.7nN during microrobotic mouse embryo injection. The techniqu...