Workshop on "Control issues in the micro / nano - world".

International audienceDuring the last decade, the need of systems with micro/nanometers accuracy and fast dynamics has been growing rapidly. Such systems occur in applications including 1) micromanipulation of biological cells, 2) micrassembly of MEMS/MOEMS, 3) micro/nanosensors for environmental monitoring, 4) nanometer resolution imaging and metrology (AFM and SEM). The scale and requirement of such systems present a number of challenges to the control system design that will be addressed in this workshop. Working in the micro/nano-world involves displacements from nanometers to tens of microns. Because of this precision requirement, environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, vibration, could generate noise and disturbance that are in the same range as the displacements of interest. The so-called smart materials, e.g., piezoceramics, magnetostrictive, shape memory, electroactive polymer, have been used for actuation or sensing in the micro/nano-world. They allow high resolution positioning as compared to hinges based systems. However, these materials exhibit hysteresis nonlinearity, and in the case of piezoelectric materials, drifts (called creep) in response to constant inputs In the case of oscillating micro/nano-structures (cantilever, tube), these nonlinearities and vibrations strongly decrease their performances. Many MEMS and NEMS applications involve gripping, feeding, or sorting, operations, where sensor feedback is necessary for their execution. Sensors that are readily available, e.g., interferometer, triangulation laser, and machine vision, are bulky and expensive. Sensors that are compact in size and convenient for packaging, e.g., strain gage, piezoceramic charge sensor, etc., have limited performance or robustness. To account for these difficulties, new control oriented techniques are emerging, such as[d the combination of two or more ‘packageable' sensors , the use of feedforward control technique which does not require sensors, and the use of robust controllers which account the sensor characteristics. The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for specialists to present and overview the different approaches of control system design for the micro/nano-world and to initiate collaborations and joint projects

Fast Image Drift Compensation in Scanning Electron Microscope using Image Registration.

International audienceScanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image acquisition is mostly affected by the time varying motion of pixel positions in the consecutive images, a phenomenon called drift. In order to perform accurate measurements using SEM, it is necessary to compensate this drift in advance. Most of the existing drift compensation methods were developed using the image correlation technique. In this paper, we present an image registration-based drift compensation method, where the correction on the distorted image is performed by computing the homography, using the keypoint correspondences between the images. Four keypoint detection algorithms have been used for this work. The obtained experimental results demonstrate the method's performance and efficiency in comparison with the correlation technique

Integration of a visual tracking system into a four probe measuring system to evaluate the electrical sheet resistance of thin films

En los últimos años, las películas delgadas han sido ampliamente estudiadas debido a la amplia gama de aplicaciones técnicas que presentan, algunas de las cuales están determinadas por sus propiedades eléctricas tales como la resistividad. Generalmente, algunas propiedades medidas en la macroescala no siguen siendo válidas cuando el material es reducido a la nanoescala. Varios estudios demuestran que la resistividad en películas delgadas depende del espesor de la muestra. Por lo tanto, en la investigación y producción de películas delgadas para nuevas aplicaciones, es necesario un sistema eficaz y preciso para medir y caracterizar sus propiedades eléctricas. Con el fin de superar las limitaciones en la medición de la resistividad en películas delgadas, el objetivo de esta tesis es la de implementar un sistema de medición de la resistividad flexible implementado utilizando el software LabVIEW y conformado por instrumentos de medición Keithley y una cámara digital tipo microscopio. Este sistema presenta dos características principales: 1. Un sistema de seguimiento automático de posición (visual tracking) para determinar la ubicación de las puntas de medición sobre la muestra. Este sistema reduce los errores ocasionados por el desalineamiento de las puntas, proporciona una apropiada interfaz gráfica y es el primer paso para la automatización del sistema de medición. 2. El sistema es capaz de medir la resistividad utilizando cuatro métodos distintos (Van der Pauw, Linear Van der Pauw, y el método de las cuatro puntas lineal y cuadrado). Esta característica proporciona la posibilidad de medir una gama más amplia tanto de materiales como de dimensiones de las muestras. El desempeño del sistema desarrollado se válido midiendo muestras estándar de aluminio y tungsteno de diferentes espesores (100, 300 and 600 nm). Las películas se depositaron sobre sustrato de silicio mediante sputtering. La resistividad de las películas se midió aplicando los diferentes cuatro métodos y se obtuvo un error estándar menor a 1%. Con el _n de validar la eficacia del sistema de seguimiento visual (visual tracking), se analizó la influencia, tanto del desalineamiento como de la distribución de las puntas en la medición de la resistividad. Los resultados fueron validados por comparación con datos experimentales de la literatura y modelos teóricos de películas delgadas (Fuchs-Sondheimer, Mayadas-Shatzke y combinación de ambos modelos). Los resultados están en correlación con los datos experimentales y los modelos teóricos. Además, se confirmó la dependencia de la resistividad con el espesor. Asimismo, se demostró que el incremento de la resistividad eléctrica podrá explicarse por las contribuciones de los mecanismos de dispersión en los limites de grano y en la superficie de la película delgada.Tesi

Robotic Micromanipulation and Microassembly using Mono-view and Multi-scale visual servoing.

International audienceThis paper investigates sequential robotic micromanipulation and microassembly in order to build 3-D microsystems and devices. A mono-view and multiple scale 2-D visual control scheme is implemented for that purpose. The imaging system used is a photon video microscope endowed with an active zoom enabling to work at multiple scales. It is modelled by a non-linear projective method where the relation between the focal length and the zoom factor is explicitly established. A distributed robotic system (xy system, z system) with a twofingers gripping system is used in conjunction with the imaging system. The results of experiments demonstrate the relevance of the proposed approaches. The tasks were performed with the following accuracy: 1.4 m for the positioning error, and 0.5 for the orientation error

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

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationIn this dissertation, we present methods for intuitive telemanipulation of manipulators that use piezoelectric stick-slip actuators (PSSAs). Commercial micro/nano-manipulators, which utilize PSSAs to achieve high precision over a large workspace, are typically controlled by a human operator at the joint level, leading to unintuitive and time-consuming telemanipulation. Prior work has considered the use of computer-vision-feedback to close a control loop for improved performance, but computer-vision-feedback is not a viable option for many end users. We discuss how open-loop models of the micro/nano-manipulator can be used to achieve desired end-effector movements, and we explain the process of obtaining open-loop models. We propose a rate-control telemanipulation method that utilizes the obtained model, and we experimentally quantify the effectiveness of the method using a common commercial manipulator (the Kleindiek MM3A). The utility of open-loop control methods for PSSAs with a human in the loop depends directly on the accuracy of the open-loop models of the manipulator. Prior research has shown that modeling of piezoelectric actuators is not a trivial task as they are known to suffer from nonlinearities that degrade their performance. We study the effect of static (non-inertial) loads on a prismatic and a rotary PSSA, and obtain a model relating the step size of the actuator to the load. The actuator-specific parameters of the model are calibrated by taking measurements in specific configurations of the manipulator. Results comparing the obtained model to experimental data are presented. PSSAs have properties that make them desirable over traditional DC-motor actuators for use in retinal surgery. We present a telemanipulation system for retinal surgery that uses a full range of existing disposable instruments. The system uses a PSSA-based manipulator that is compact and light enough that it could reasonably be made head-mounted to passively compensate for head movements. Two mechanisms are presented that enable the system to use existing disposable actuated instruments, and an instrument adapter enables quick-change of instruments during surgery. A custom stylus for a haptic interface enables intuitive and ergonomic telemanipulation of actuated instruments. Experimental results with a force-sensitive phantom eye show that telemanipulated surgery results in reduced forces on the retina compared to manual surgery, and training with the system results in improved performance. Finally, we evaluate operator efficiency with different haptic-interface kinematics for telemanipulated retinal surgery. Surgical procedures of the retina require precise manipulation of instruments inserted through trocars in the sclera. Telemanipulated robotic systems have been developed to improve retinal surgery, but there is not a unique mapping of the motions of the surgeon's hand to the lower-dimensional motions of the instrument through the trocar. We study operator performance during a precision positioning task on a force-sensing phantom retina, reminiscent of telemanipulated retinal surgery, with three common haptic-interface kinematics implemented in software on a PHANTOM Premium 6DOF haptic interface. Results from a study with 12 human subjects show that overall performance is best with the kinematics that represent a compact and inexpensive option, and that subjects' subjective preference agrees with the objective performance results

ZnO based micro and nanomaterials for breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer is one of the largest causes of women’s death in the world. Millions of women are affected by breast cancer. Despite the significant achievements in breast cancer treatment, some problems, such as damage to healthy tissues and adverse effects including myelosuppression, heart failure, and infertility have been observed in the case of the non-specific systemic delivery of the cytostatic agent. Nanoparticles are gaining attention as a valuable solution to addressing these problems because of their unique characteristics, such as their enhanced permeability and retention in tumor tissue. In this thesis, it is investigated and compared the effect of spherical zinc peroxide (ZnO2) nanoparticles of different sizes, commercially available ZnO nanopowder as well as tetrapodal-shaped ZnO (T-ZnO) microparticles on breast cancer (MCF-7) cells as a function of particle concentration. The cytotoxicity and viability of the different particles were investigated for breast cancer (MCF-7) cells in comparison with normal fibroblasts cells (RMF-EG). The results indicated that ZnO2 nanoparticles of average size between 20 - 80 nm were most effective against MCF-7 cells and showed minimal toxicity to normal fibroblasts (RMF-EG) cells. To better understand the underlying mechanism, we investigated cellular uptake into MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and correlated their uptake with cell death. In summary, it is demonstrated that ZnO2 particles are taken up by MCF7 cells and induced stronger cytotoxic effect in these malignant cells. This suggested their potential clinical advantages (application to reduce side-effects of nonmalignant tissue) in treatment of breast cancer. It was also anticipated that ZnO2 nanoparticles could be used for the development of a pH-sensitive drug delivery system that minimizes drug toxicity

International Workshop on MicroFactories (IWMF 2012): 17th-20th June 2012 Tampere Hall Tampere, Finland

This Workshop provides a forum for researchers and practitioners in industry working on the diverse issues of micro and desktop factories, as well as technologies and processes applicable for micro and desktop factories. Micro and desktop factories decrease the need of factory floor space, and reduce energy consumption and improve material and resource utilization thus strongly supporting the new sustainable manufacturing paradigm. They can be seen also as a proper solution to point-of-need manufacturing of customized and personalized products near the point of need