Microfabricated bistable module for digital microrobotics

Abstract

High precision microrobots are needed more and more to perform micro/nanomanipulation and microassembly tasks in various environments like microrobotic stations, electronic microscopes (SEM, TEM), etc. Current microrobots are based on the use of smart materials to perform proportional or incremental actuation. To avoid the main drawbacks of these microrobots (non linearities, integration of sensors, robust control, energy consumption, sensitivity to noise), we propose a new type of microrobots, called digital microrobots, based on microfabricated bistable modules. The study presented in this paper is dedicated to the microfabricated bistable modules, notably the structure and the actuators design and characterization. The results open a new paradigm in the field of microrobotics leading to open loop control and the design of various kinematics adapted to the microworld. Moreover, no external energy is required to maintain the microrobot in its position.

Characterization of bistable mechanisms for microrobotics and mesorobotics

“…Figure 7 shows an example of obtained device. Microfabrication details and characterization are given in [24]. The dimensions of the fabricated and characterised mechanism which is based on hinged preshaped curved beams (see Figure 8) are given in Table 1.…”

Design and fabrication of novel discrete actuators for microrobotic tasks

“…Excluding the sensors in digital microrobotics allows simplifying the structure, the connectivity and the control, integrating the microrobot in complicated environments and going further in miniaturization. As described in the literature, most of the discrete actuators are based on a bistable mechanism [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Switching between two states, this mechanism guarantees a mechanical stability of the states in open loop without energy consumption unlike stick-slip [18][19][20][21], inertial [22][23][24] or inchworms actuators [25,26].…”

Characterization of a conveyance device based on a digital actuators array and a structured plate

“…All intermediate positions, located between these discrete positions, correspond only to transient states and cannot be held in normal functioning. The control of these actuators is very simple and can be realized in open loop without feedback sensors [2]. Thus, the control of digital actuators is based on energy pulses only needed to switch the mobile part between the discrete positions.…”