In this modern world, with the increase of complexity of many technologies, especially in the micro and nanoscale, the field of robotic manipulation has tremendously grown. Microrobots and other complex microscale systems are often to laborious to fabricate using standard microfabrication techniques, therefore there is a trend towards fabricating them in parts then assembling them together, mainly using micromanipulation tools. Here, a comprehensive and robust micromanipulation platform is presented, in which four micromanipulators can be used simultaneously to perform complex tasks, providing the user with an intuitive environment. The system utilizes a vision-based force sensor to aid with manipulation tasks and it provides a safe environment for biomanipulation. Lastly, virtual reality (VR) was incorporated into the system, allowing the user to control the probes from a more intuitive standpoint and providing an immersive platform for the future of micromanipulation.
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Stiffness Characterization and Micromanipulation for Biomedical Applications using the Vision-based Force-Sensing Magnetic Mobile Microrobot
This paper presents the use of a micro-force sensing mobile microrobot (μFSMM) for in vitro biomedical applications. The μFSMM utilizes a vision-based force sensor end-effector, which computes the force based on the deflection of a compliant structure with a known stiffness using a computer vision tracking algorithm. The μFSMM is used to characterize the stiffness of several different alginate and hyaluronic acid hydrogel spheroid samples, which are typically used in 3D tissue engineered constructs for studying cellular behavior. Additionally, μFSMM is used to perform safe micromanipulation tasks with these spheroids. These experimental results showcase some of the applications of this unique microrobot design in the fields of mechanobiology, theranostics, and force-guided micromanipulation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1637961
- PAR ID:
- 10309216
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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