Haptic feedback in teleoperation in Micro-and Nano-Worlds.

International audienceRobotic systems have been developed to handle very small objects, but their use remains complex and necessitates long-duration training. Simulators, such as molecular simulators, can provide access to large amounts of raw data, but only highly trained users can interpret the results of such systems. Haptic feedback in teleoperation, which provides force-feedback to an operator, appears to be a promising solution for interaction with such systems, as it allows intuitiveness and flexibility. However several issues arise while implementing teleoperation schemes at the micro-nanoscale, owing to complex force-fields that must be transmitted to users, and scaling differences between the haptic device and the manipulated objects. Major advances in such technology have been made in recent years. This chapter reviews the main systems in this area and highlights how some fundamental issues in teleoperation for micro- and nano-scale applications have been addressed. The chapter considers three types of teleoperation, including: (1) direct (manipulation of real objects); (2) virtual (use of simulators); and (3) augmented (combining real robotic systems and simulators). Remaining issues that must be addressed for further advances in teleoperation for micro-nanoworlds are also discussed, including: (1) comprehension of phenomena that dictate very small object (< 500 micrometers) behavior; and (2) design of intuitive 3-D manipulation systems. Design guidelines to realize an intuitive haptic feedback teleoperation system at the micro-nanoscale level are proposed

A Review of Haptic Feedback Teleoperation Systems for Micromanipulation and Microassembly

International audienceThis paper presents a review of the major haptic feedback teleoperation systems for micromanipulation. During the last decade, the handling of micrometer-sized objects has become a critical issue. Fields of application from material science to electronics demonstrate an urgent need for intuitive and flexible manipulation systems able to deal with small-scale industrial projects and assembly tasks. Two main approaches have been considered: fully automated tasks and manual operation. The first one require fully pre determined tasks, while the later necessitates highly trained operators. To overcome these issues the use of haptic feedback teleoperation where the user manipulates the tool through a joystick whilst feeling a force feedback, appears to be a promising solution as it allows high intuitiveness and flexibility. Major advances have been achieved during this last decade, starting with systems that enable the operator to feel the substrate topology, to the current state-of-the-art where 3D haptic feedback is provided to aid manipulation tasks. This paper details the major achievements and the solutions that have been developed to propose 3D haptic feedback for tools that often lack 3D force measurements. The use of virtual reality to enhance the immersion is also addressed. The strategies developed provide haptic feedback teleoperation systems with a high degree of assistance and for a wide range of micromanipulation tools. Based on this expertise on haptic for micromanipulation and virtual reality assistance it is now possible to propose microassembly systems for objects as small as 1 to 10 micrometers. This is a mature field and will benefit small-scale industrial projects where precision and flexibility in microassembly are required

Recent advances in the study of Micro/Nano Robotics in France.

International audienceIn France, during the last decade, significant research activities have been performed in the field of micro and nano robotics. Generally speaking the microrobotic field deals with the design, the fabrication and the control of microrobots and microrobotic cells. These microrobots are intended to perform various tasks in the so-called Microworld. The scale effects from macroworld to microworld deeply affect robots in the sense that new hard constraints appear as well as new manufacturing facilities. Concerning the nanorobotics, in order to achieve high-efficiency and three-dimensional nanomanipulation and nanoassembly, parallel imaging/manipulation force microscopy and three-dimensional manipulation force microscope, as well as nanmanipulation in the scanning electron microscope, have been developed. Manipulation of nanocomponents, such as nanoparticles, nanowires and nanotubes, have been addressed to build two-dimensional nano patterns and three-dimensional nano structure

AFM-Based Mechanical Nanomanipulation

Advances in several research areas increase the need for more sophisticated fabrication techniques and better performing materials. Tackling this problem from a bottom-up perspective is currently an active field of research. The bottom-up fabrication procedure offers sub-nanometer accurate manipulation. At this time, candidates to achieve nanomanipulation include chemical (self-assembly), biotechnology methods (DNA-based), or using controllable physical forces (e.g. electrokinetic forces, mechanical forces). In this thesis, new methods and techniques for mechanical nanomanipulation using probe force interaction are developed. The considered probes are commonly used in Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) for high resolution imaging. AFM-based mechanical nanomanipulation will enable arranging nanoscale entities such as nanotubes and molecules in a precise and controlled manner to assemble and produce novel devices and systems at the nanoscale. The novelty of this research stems from the development of new modeling of the physics and mechanics of the tip interaction with nanoscale entities, coupled with the development of new smart cantilevers with multiple degrees of freedom. The gained knowledge from the conducted simulations and analysis is expected to enable true precision and repeatability of nanomanipulation tasks which is not feasible with existing methods and technologies

Scaled bilateral teleoperation using discrete-time sliding mode controller

In this paper, the design of a discrete-time slidingmode controller based on Lyapunov theory is presented along with a robust disturbance observer and is applied to a piezostage for high-precision motion. A linear model of a piezostage was used with nominal parameters to compensate the disturbance acting on the system in order to achieve nanometer accuracy. The effectiveness of the controller and disturbance observer is validated in terms of closed-loop position performance for nanometer references. The control structure has been applied to a scaled bilateral structure for the custom-built telemicromanipulation setup. A piezoresistive atomic force microscope cantilever with a built-in Wheatstone bridge is utilized to achieve the nanonewtonlevel interaction forces between the piezoresistive probe tip and the environment. Experimental results are provided for the nanonewton-range force sensing, and good agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical estimates has been demonstrated. Force/position tracking and transparency between the master and the slave has been clearly demonstrated after necessary scalin

MICROCANTILEVER-BASED FORCE SENSING, CONTROL AND IMAGING

This dissertation presents a distributed-parameters base modeling framework for microcantilever (MC)-based force sensing and control with applications to nanomanipulation and imaging. Due to the widespread applications of MCs in nanoscale force sensing or atomic force microscopy with nano-Newton to pico-Newton force measurement requirements, precise modeling of the involved MCs is essential. Along this line, a distributed-parameters modeling framework is proposed which is followed by a modified robust controller with perturbation estimation to target the problem of delay in nanoscale imaging and manipulation. It is shown that the proposed nonlinear model-based controller can stabilize such nanomanipulation process in a very short time compared to available conventional methods. Such modeling and control development could pave the pathway towards MC-based manipulation and positioning. The first application of the MC-based (a piezoresistive MC) force sensors in this dissertation includes MC-based mass sensing with applications to biological species detection. MC-based sensing has recently attracted extensive interest in many chemical and biological applications due to its sensitivity, extreme applicability and low cost. By measuring the stiffness of MCs experimentally, the effect of adsorption of target molecules can be quantified. To measure MC\u27s stiffness, an in-house nanoscale force sensing setup is designed and fabricated which utilizes a piezoresistive MC to measure the force acting on the MC\u27s tip with nano-Newton resolution. In the second application, the proposed MC-based force sensor is utilized to achieve a fast-scan laser-free Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Tracking control of piezoelectric actuators in various applications including scanning probe microscopes is limited by sudden step discontinuities within time-varying continuous trajectories. For this, a switching control strategy is proposed for effective tracking of such discontinuous trajectories. A new spiral path planning is also proposed here which improves scanning rate of the AFM. Implementation of the proposed modeling and controller in a laser-free AFM setup yields high quality image of surfaces with stepped topographies at frequencies up to 30 Hz. As the last application of the MC-based force sensors, a nanomanipulator named here MM3A® is utilized for nanomanipulation purposes. The area of control and manipulation at the nanoscale has recently received widespread attention in different technologies such as fabricating electronic chipsets, testing and assembly of MEMS and NEMS, micro-injection and manipulation of chromosomes and genes. To overcome the lack of position sensor on this particular manipulator, a fused vision force feedback robust controller is proposed. The effects of utilization of the image and force feedbacks are individually discussed and analyzed for use in the developed fused vision force feedback control framework in order to achieve ultra precise positioning and optimal performance

Additive nanomanufacturing: a review

Additive manufacturing has provided a pathway for inexpensive and flexible manufacturing of specialized components and one-off parts. At the nanoscale, such techniques are less ubiquitous. Manufacturing at the nanoscale is dominated by lithography tools that are too expensive for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in. Additive nanomanufacturing (ANM) empowers smaller facilities to design, create, and manufacture on their own while providing a wider material selection and flexible design. This is especially important as nanomanufacturing thus far is largely constrained to 2-dimensional patterning techniques and being able to manufacture in 3-dimensions could open up new concepts. In this review, we outline the state-of-the-art within ANM technologies such as electrohydrodynamic jet printing, dip-pen lithography, direct laser writing, and several single particle placement methods such as optical tweezers and electrokinetic nanomanipulation. The ANM technologies are compared in terms of deposition speed, resolution, and material selection and finally the future prospects of ANM are discussed. This review is up-to-date until April 2014

Controlled surface manipulation at the nanometer scale based on the atomic force microscope

The object of this thesis is the development of theoretical and experimental methods for the controlled manipulation of surfaces at the nanometer scale, including the design, construction and experimental demonstration of an atomic force microscope (AFM) based manipulator. The transfer function description of an AFM system not only offers a theoretical dynamic characterization but, additionally, it is appropriate for the analysis of stability and controllability of different system configurations, i.e. different inputs and outputs. In this thesis, transfer functions are derived that correspond to a realistic model of the AFM sensor, including all its resonance modes and the tip-sample interaction. This theoretical description is then validated using the frequency response along an AFM cantilever. Different experimental and control techniques have been combined in the NanoManipulator system to optimize AFM lithography. Optical video microscopy allows a fast recognition of the sample and exact positioning of the AFM tip in the particular region of interest, while UV-laser ablation offers the possibility of noncontact manipulation of a wide range of materials, including biological specimens. Two different control approaches have been implemented in the NanoManipulator system: (i) automated control using a vector-scan module, and (ii) interactive control based on the use of a haptic interface. Using the NanoManipulator, the two different standard AFM lithography techniques based on dynamic methods (namely dynamic and modulated plowing) are compared by performing nanopatterning on thin resist films. The results reflect that modulated plowing, where the AFM tip is in permanent contact with the resist surface while the force is being modulated, offers the highest reliability, minimizing undesired side effects. The isolation and extraction of localized regions of human metaphase chromosomes represents a promising alternative to standard methods for the analysis of genetic material. The NanoManipulator is an excellent tool for such application, as it is here illustrated by comparing AFM based mechanical dissection and noncontact ablation on side by side chromosomes. The results are analyzed in situ using AFM imaging, revealing the high precision of mechanical dissection. Acoustical force nanolithography is a novel method for AFM based lithography where the cantilever is actuated using an acoustic wave coupled through the sample surface. The influence of acoustic wave frequency and magnitude, along with the preloading force of the cantilever are studied in detail. Acoustical force nanolithography can be used as a stand alone method or as a complement for the fine adjustment of manipulation forces