Non-contact Dexterous Micromanipulation with Multiple Optoelectronic Robots

TL;DR

This paper introduces a non-contact micromanipulation technique using optoelectronic dielectrophoretic forces, enabling flexible, damage-free manipulation of microscale objects with multiple robots in cluttered environments.

Contribution

It presents a novel non-contact micromanipulation method based on optoelectronic forces, eliminating the need for specialized tools and enabling flexible, safe micro-object handling.

Findings

Successful simulation and real-world validation of non-contact trajectory tracking.

Effective obstacle and reciprocal avoidance among multiple microrobots.

Demonstrated versatility across various objects and tasks at the microscale.

Abstract

Micromanipulation systems leverage automation and robotic technologies to improve the precision, repeatability, and efficiency of various tasks at the microscale. However, current approaches are typically limited to specific objects or tasks, which necessitates the use of custom tools and specialized grasping methods. This paper proposes a novel non-contact micromanipulation method based on optoelectronic technologies. The proposed method utilizes repulsive dielectrophoretic forces generated in the optoelectronic field to drive a microrobot, enabling the microrobot to push the target object in a cluttered environment without physical contact. The non-contact feature can minimize the risks of potential damage, contamination, or adhesion while largely improving the flexibility of manipulation. The feature enables the use of a general tool for indirect object manipulation, eliminating the need for specialized tools. A series of simulation studies and real-world experiments -- including non-contact trajectory tracking, obstacle avoidance, and reciprocal avoidance between multiple microrobots -- are conducted to validate the performance of the proposed method. The proposed formulation provides a general and dexterous solution for a range of objects and tasks at the micro scale.