In this paper, a piezo actuated micro robot with active force control (AFC) capability is modelled and simulated for an in-pipe application. A mathematical model that describes the dynamic characteristics of the micro robot is first presented. The dynamic response of the robot system subjected to different input excitations is then investigated by initially considering a conventional proportion...

We present a steerable, electrostatic, untethered, MEMS micro-robot, with dimensions of 60 /j.m by 250 /j.m by 10 /j.m. This micro-robot is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller in size than previous micro-robotic systems. The device consists of a curved, cantilevered steering arm, mounted on an untethered scratch drive actuator. These two components are fabricated monolithically from the same she...

A micromanipulation setup allowing comparative tests of manipulation micro tools has been developed. Repeatability measurements of positioning as well as optimization of manipulation conditions can be run with parts of typically 5 to 50μm over a large set of parameters including environment conditions, substrate and tip specifications, and different strategies (robot trajectories at picking and...

This paper presents the architecture used to develop a micro-robot for narrow pipes inspection. Both the electromechanical design and the control scheme will be described. In pipe environments it is very useful to have a method to retrieve information of the state of the inside part of the pipes in order to detect damages, breaks and holes. Due to the different types of pipes that exists, a mod...

The paper presents the software and hardware structure of a simulator model for the training of robot operators. Conceived and programmed in the XNA environment,, the application software contains 4 training levels and one demo. In the aim of a realistic training, the simulator is wired directly to the robot control panel, using an original designed micro-controller interface.

This study designed and developed a bionic mimosa robot with delicate leaf swing behaviors. For different swing behaviors, this study developed a variety of situations, in which the bionic mimosa robot would display different postures. The core technologies used were Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), plastic material, and an intelligent control device. The technology particularly focused on the SMAs ...

The combination of micro synthetic structures with bacterial flagella motors represents an actual trend for the construction of self-propelled micro-robots. The development of methods for fabrication of these bacteria-based robots is a first crucial step towards the realization of functional miniature and autonomous moving robots. We present a novel scheme based on optical trapping to fabricate...

The paper presents the software and hardware structure of a simulator model for the training of robot operators. Conceived and programmed in the XNA environment,, the application software contains 4 training levels and one demo. In the aim of a realistic training, the simulator is wired directly to the robot control panel, using an original designed micro-controller interface.

This paper establishes a novel control strategy for a nonlinear bilateral macro-micro teleoperation system with time delay. Besides position and velocity signals, force signals are additionally utilized in the control scheme. This modification significantly improves the poor transparency during contact with the environment. To eliminate external force measurement, a force estimation algorithm i...

Complex functional materials with three-dimensional micro- or nano-scale dynamic compositional features are prevalent in nature. However, the generation of three-dimensional functional materials composed of both soft and rigid microstructures, each programmed by shape and composition, is still an unsolved challenge. Here we describe a method to code complex materials in three-dimensions with tu...