1,518 research outputs found
A versatile and reconfigurable microassembly workstation
In this paper, a versatile and reconfigurable
microassembly workstation designed and realized as a research
tool for investigation of the problems in microassembly and
micromanipulation processes and recent developments on
mechanical and control structure of the system with respect to
the previous workstation are presented. These developments
include: (i) addition of a manipulator system to realize more
complicated assembly and manipulation tasks, (ii) addition of
extra DOF for the vision system and sample holder stages in
order to make the system more versatile (iii) a new optical
microscope as the vision system in order to visualize the
microworld and determine the position and orientation of micro
components to be assembled or manipulated, (iv) a modular
control system hardware which allows handling more DOF. In
addition several experiments using the workstation are presented
in different modes of operation like tele-operated, semiautomated
and fully automated by means of visual based
schemes
A Workstation for microassembly
In this paper, an open-architecture, reconfigurable microassembly workstation for efficient and reliable assembly of micromachined parts is presented. The
workstation is designed to be used as a research tool for investigation of the problems in microassembly. The development of such a workstation includes the design of: (i) a manipulation system consisting of motion stages providing
necessary travel range and precision for the realization of assembly tasks, (ii) a vision system to visualize the microworld and the determination of the position and orientation of micro components to be assembled, (iii) a robust control system and necessary mounts for the end effectors in such a way that according to the task to be realized, the manipulation tools can be easily changed and the system will be ready for the predefined task. In addition
tele-operated and semi-automated assembly concepts are implemented. The design is verified by implementing the range of the tasks in micro-parts manipulation. The versatility of the workstation is demonstrated and high accuracy of positioning is sho
Positioning and trajectory following tasks in microsystems using model free visual servoing
In this paper, we explore model free visual servoing algorithms by
experimentally evaluating their performances for various tasks
performed on a microassembly workstation developed in our lab. Model
free or so called uncalibrated visual servoing does not need the
system calibration (microscope-camera-micromanipulator) and the
model of the observed scene. It is robust to parameter changes and
disturbances. We tested its performance in point-to-point
positioning and various trajectory following tasks. Experimental
results validate the utility of model free visual servoing in
microassembly tasks
Novel parameter estimation schemes in microsystems
This paper presents two novel estimation methods that are designed to enhance our ability of observing, positioning, and physically transforming the objects and/or biological structures in micromanipulation tasks. In order to effectively monitor and position the microobjects, an online calibration method with submicron precision via a recursive least square solution is presented. To provide the adequate information to manipulate the biological structures without damaging the cell or tissue during an injection, a nonlinear spring-mass-damper model is introduced and mechanical properties of a zebrafish embryo are obtained. These two methods are validated on a microassembly workstation and the results are evaluated quantitatively
Leads integral with the internal interconnection that penetrate the molded wall of a package
Multiplicity of external ribbon leads makes possible connections to a sealed or encapsulated microassembly. The leads are integral with the internal connections on a single part that can be fabricated economically by fine-detail electroplating
Semi-autonomous scheme for pushing micro-objects
-In many microassembly applications, it is often
desirable to position and orient polygonal micro-objects lying on
a planar surface. Pushing micro-objects using point contact provides
more flexibility and less complexity compared to pick and
place operation. Due to the fact that in micro-world surface forces
are much more dominant than inertial forces and these forces
are distributed unevenly, pushing through the center of mass of
the micro-object will not yield a pure translational motion. In
order to translate a micro-object, the line of pushing should pass
through the center of friction. In this paper, a semi-autonomous
scheme based on hybrid vision/force feedback is proposed to push
microobjects with human assistance using a custom built telemicromanipulation
setup to achieve pure translational motion.
The pushing operation is divided into two concurrent processes:
In one process human operator who acts as an impedance
controller alters the velocity of the pusher while in contact with
the micro-object through scaled bilateral teleoperation with force
feedback. In the other process, the desired line of pushing for
the micro-object is determined continuously using visual feedback
procedures so that it always passes through the varying center of
friction. Experimental results are demonstrated to prove nanoNewton
range force sensing, scaled bilateral teleoperation with
force feedback and pushing microobjects
Model-based vs. model-free visual servoing: A Performance evaluation in microsystems
In this paper, model-based and model-free image based visual servoing (VS) approaches are implemented on a microassembly workstation, and their regulation and tracking performances are evaluated. A precise image based VS relies on computation of the image jacobian. In the model-based visual servoing, the image Jacobian is computed via calibrating the optical system. Precisely calibrated model based VS promises better positioning and tracking performance than the model-free approach. However, in the model-free approach, optical system calibration is not required due to the dynamic Jacobian estimation, thus it has the advantage of adapting to the different operating modes
Motion planning and assembly for microassembly workstation
In general, mechatronics systems have no standard
operating system that could be used for planning and
control when these complex devices are running. The
goal of this paper is to formulate a work platform that can
be used as a method for obtaining precision in the
manipulation of micro-entities using micro-scale
manipulation tools for microsystem applications. This
paper provide groundwork for motion planning and
assembly of the Micro-Assembly Workstation (MAW)
manipulation system. To demonstrate the feasibility of the
idea, the paper implements some of the motion planning
algorithms; it investigates the performance of the
conventional Euclidean distance algorithm (EDA),
artificial potential fields’ algorithm, and A* algorithm
when implemented on a virtual space
Challenges in flexible microsystem manufacturing : fabrication, robotic assembly, control, and packaging.
Microsystems have been investigated with renewed interest for the last three decades because of the emerging development of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology and the advancement of nanotechnology. The applications of microrobots and distributed sensors have the potential to revolutionize micro and nano manufacturing and have other important health applications for drug delivery and minimal invasive surgery. A class of microrobots studied in this thesis, such as the Solid Articulated Four Axis Microrobot (sAFAM) are driven by MEMS actuators, transmissions, and end-effectors realized by 3-Dimensional MEMS assembly. Another class of microrobots studied here, like those competing in the annual IEEE Mobile Microrobot Challenge event (MMC) are untethered and driven by external fields, such as magnetic fields generated by a focused permanent magnet. A third class of microsystems studied in this thesis includes distributed MEMS pressure sensors for robotic skin applications that are manufactured in the cleanroom and packaged in our lab.
In this thesis, we discuss typical challenges associated with the fabrication, robotic assembly and packaging of these microsystems. For sAFAM we discuss challenges arising from pick and place manipulation under microscopic closed-loop control, as well as bonding and attachment of silicon MEMS microparts. For MMC, we discuss challenges arising from cooperative manipulation of microparts that advance the capabilities of magnetic micro-agents. Custom microrobotic hardware configured and demonstrated during this research (such as the NeXus microassembly station) include micro-positioners, microscopes, and controllers driven via LabVIEW. Finally, we also discuss challenges arising in distributed sensor manufacturing. We describe sensor fabrication steps using clean-room techniques on Kapton flexible substrates, and present results of lamination, interconnection and testing of such sensors are presented
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