Design, characterization and control of thermally-responsive and magnetically-actuated micro-grippers at the air-water interface.

ABSTRACT: The design and control of untethered microrobotic agents has drawn a lot of attention in recent years. This technology truly possesses the potential to revolutionize the field of minimally invasive surgery and microassembly. However, miniaturization and reliable actuation of micro-fabricated grippers are still challenging at sub-millimeter scale. In this study, we design, manufacture, characterize, and control four similarly-structured semi-rigid thermoresponsive micro-grippers. Furthermore, we develop a closed loop-control algorithm to demonstrate and compare the performance of the said grippers when moving in hard-to-reach and unpredictable environments. Finally, we analyze the grasping characteristics of three of the presented designs. Overall, not only does the study demonstrate motion

SUBMITTER: Ongaro F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5728485 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature