Real-time simulation of AFM tip-surface cohesive interactions

International audienceThe manipulation of nano-objects requires specific instruments as Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM). Despite qualities and performances of these devices, many physicists complained about the lacks of adequate man-AFM interfaces, since the experimentalist can not control the AFM tip during the sample scan or feel in real-time the results of his actions on the sample surface. The work presented here aims to this objective: allowing the experimentalist to act on and feel the nanoworld phenomena during the manipulation by the use of multisensory representations including the force feeling

Implementation of perception and action at nanoscale

Real time combination of nanosensors and nanoactuators with virtual reality environment and multisensorial interfaces enable us to efficiently act and perceive at nanoscale. Advanced manipulation of nanoobjects and new strategies for scientific education are the key motivations. We have no existing intuitive representation of the nanoworld ruled by laws foreign to our experience. A central challenge is then the construction of nanoworld simulacrum that we can start to visit and to explore. In this nanoworld simulacrum, object identifications will be based on probed entity physical and chemical intrinsic properties, on their interactions with sensors and on the final choices made in building a multisensorial interface so that these objects become coherent elements of the human sphere of action and perception. Here we describe a 1D virtual nanomanipulator, part of the Cit\'e des Sciences EXPO NANO in Paris, that is the first realization based on this program.Comment: Proceedings of ENACTIVE/07 4th International Conference on Enactive Interfaces Grenoble, France, November 19th-22nd, 200

Atomic Force Microscope Functionality Simulation : Physical and Energetic Analogies

Poster - http://www.asmeconferences.org/conference-home/NANO.cfmInternational audienceUsing Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) to manipulate nano-objects is an actual challenge for both physicians and biologists. Many visual and haptic interfaces between the AFM and experimentalists have already been implemented. The multi-sensory renderings (seeing, hearing, feeling) studied from a cognitive point of view increase the efficiency of the actual interfaces and represent our challenge. To allow the experimentalist to feel and touch the nano-world, we add mixed realities between an AFM and a force feedback device, enriching thus the direct connection by a modeling engine. The functionality of an AFM is described in this paper through physical and energetic analogies

Approaching nano-spaces : 1-DOF nanomanipulator

International audienceDifferent scientific fields like biology or physics develop applications where a successful nano-object manipulation is peremptory. In the aim of realizing a useful multi-sensory interface allowing thus, human presence in the nano-world, we present in this paper the first results from the one-degree of freedom (DOF) nano-manipulator developments that connects an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) with our Force Feedback Gestural Device (FFGD). The application of the AFM-FFGD coupling contains a redefining of the real-time remote-control handling, bringing in the concept of mixed reality. The designed models described in this paper represent the basis of the virtual reconstruction of a nano-scene

Touching nanospace : Atomic Force Microscope coupling with a force feedback manipulation system

International audienceToday, Scanning Probe Microscopies (SPM) are widely used in physics, chemistry and biology in order to image surfaces with a great resolution but also more and more as tool to manipulate nano-objects or to modify surfaces at nanometer scale. At the present time, using SPM to manipulate nano-objects is not user friendly and is time consuming. These two weak points are due to the absence of feedback control in real time of the tip movements and of tip-surface or tip/nano-objects interactions. The aim of our research work is to realise an active feedback control interface which will allow to feel in real time but also to simulate the tip movement and/or tip-surface/nano-objects interactions

Conception et réalisation d'un nouvel outil à réalité mixte et retour d'effort pour toucher et créer les nanomondes: NanoManipulateur Multisensoriel

The recent introduction of virtual realities into scientific data processing tools inaugurates a major turning in the history of the man machine interfaces, by allowing a real-time interaction with virtual spaces. ln parallel, the emergence of nanosciences requires the installation of innovative tools which, beyond the measurement and classical data display, will allow action and understanding at a scale where physical phenomena are singular and typically intangible. This work aims to develop of a nanomanipulator, an instrumental interface of augmented reality based on the coupling of an Atomic Force Microscope, a simulator and a multisensory platform. This nanomanipulator conforms like a real tool allowing to interact naturally and directly with the environment of the nanoworld. The multisensoriality is allowed by the real-lime rebuilding of a mixed space (real and virtual), energetically and dynamically coherent, where the user can interact with force feedback, animated images and sounds. Reality is increased thanks to the insertion of virtual mass-point physical models, interacting conjointly with the user and nanoscene. The modularity and the opening of this instrument are presented, besides the issues induced by the scaling and by the technological and modeling systems. The teaching impact of such a device, for the formal training of intangible physical phenomena, within a practical teaching framework in nanophysic, constitutes a first evaluation of the tool. Its potential for research was highlighted through some applications of determination of real nanometric situations through recursive modeling and sensory comparisons with their virtual counterparts.L'introduction récente des réalités virtuelles dans les outils informatiques scientifiques inaugure un tournant majeur dans l'histoire des interfaces homme-machine, en permettant l'interaction temps réel avec des espaces virtuels. Or l'émergence des nanosciences requiert la mise en place d'outils novateurs qui, au-delà de la mesure et de la représentation classique de données, permettront l'action et la compréhension à une échelle où les phénomènes physiques sont singuliers et typiquement intangibles. Ce travail vise au développement d'une interface instrumentale de réalité augmentée basée sur un Microscope à Force Atomique. Ce nanomanipulateur se conforme comme un outil réel permettant d'interagir naturellement avec le nanomonde. La multisensorialité est permise par la reconstruction temps-réel d'un espace mixte (réel et virtuel), énergétiquement et dynamiquement cohérent, où l'utilisateur peut interagir avec un retour de force, d'images animées et de sons. La réalité est augmentée par insertion de modèles physiques particulaires virtuels, interagissant à la fois avec l'utilisateur et la nanoscène. La modularité et l'ouverture de cet instrument sont exposées, ainsi que les problèmes induits par le changement d'échelle et par les systèmes technologiques et de modélisation. L'impact pédagogique, dans l'apprentissage formel de phénomènes physiques non tangibles en enseignement pratique en nanophysique, constitue une première évaluation de l'outil. Son potentiel pour la recherche s'est affirmé à travers quelques applications de détermination de situations nanométriques réelles par modélisations récursives et comparaison sensorielle avec leurs homologues virtuels

PRESENCE : the sense of believability on inaccessible worlds

International audienceWith the development of new instruments as telecommunication, teleoperation, computer representation tools, human beings are commonly in situation to perceive and act on spaces that are more and more distant or different from our physical world. These new tools raise nowadays the question of Presence of these distant spaces with a growing intensity. This question crosses disciplines as different as computer arts or nanosciences. Through two experimental situations in each of these fields, (1) the playing of a musical virtual instrument and (2) the manipulation of nano-objects, the paper analyses the minimal conditions that the computer models and the human-computer interactions have to satisfy to trigger the sense of presence of distant inaccessible objects, whatever they are. After examining the evolution of instrumental tools, machines and concepts from real means to televirtual ones via the teleoperation and telecommunication chains and via experiments for the investigated fields, the paper shows that the primary condition able to generate ab initio the sense of presence, should be the instillation of a minimal physical coherence in the representation of distant worlds, and the introduction of the "evoked matter" concept as a central paradigm for the Presence issue

PRESENCE: The Sense of Believability of Inaccessible Worlds

Talk session: "Shared and Virtual Worlds" - Special issue on Cyberworlds - Published in Computers & Graphics (vol.28, issue 4, 2004)International audienceWith the development of communication methods and devices, it became possible to perform actions more and more distant from the task spaces. These new tools raise today the question of Presence of distant spaces with a growing accuracy. In a first part, we show that the distance between the manipulation space and the task space, in a teleoperation activity, points to different meanings. However, the same need for a strong Presence of the task space raises, whatever the distance between these spaces is. We then discuss the notion of Presence as a cross-point between technological and scientific disciplines, and propose some general idea that may reinforce it. In a second part, we illustrate the previous ideas with the example of manipulation of nano-objects. We show how it is possible to enhance dramatically the feeling of Presence of the nano-objects to be perceived and manipulated, by adding haptic bi-directional transducers to the visual and acoustical sensors used today. By the end, we defend the idea that the feeling of Being there is deeply dependent on multisensoriality

Dynamic Modelling of a Nanomanipulator Chain

International audienceThis paper presents a dynamic system modelling approach of ananomanipulator chain developed by the ICA-ACROE and LEPESlaboratories. The chain is a very complex instrument, serving forprecise sensing and manipulation in nanometer scale environment. The objective is to find a suitable model of thechain in view of stability and performances analysis, and forfurther control design of the feedback loops. Such a global modelis here developed using state space representation of thedifferent parts of the chain. Moreover, an experimental modellingand identification of the cantilever parameters are presented. Thenano-scale tip-sample interaction forces are modelled too. Finallythe simulation of the whole nanomanipulation chain is performed,simulating the approach-withdrawal operation which is in goodaccordance with the real patterns of experiments in physics