Equipment | Robotic Instruments

^{main / equipment}

Miniaturised robotic platforms

• Microgripper station

  The microgripper station is our classical device for manipulating and assembling microscale parts built in early projects. The station typically has a 3 DoF miniaturized precision mobile platform (normal workspace  20 mm x 200 mm x 15 mm, submicron precision; can be configured up to 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm), a piezobender-based microgripper with adjustable jaw opening (initial opening 0-3 mm, active range 1 mm, nanometer resolution) with z-axis motion range of 15 mm. 

  Additional DoFs and devices can be easily integrated into the system to expand the functionality of the system, including additional end-effectors (mechanical grippers of different gripping ranges, vacuum grippers, capillary grippers, needles), parallel or serial configured micromanipulators, liquid dispensers (contact or non-contact, volume resolution down to pico liters), UV gun, laser, force sensors (force resolution micro to nano Newtons), electrodes, probes, etc.  A vision system with two to four cameras and lenses is usually employed to observe the workspaces and provide visual feedback.

  The microgripper station is highly versatile and has been configured to carry out different tasks in past projects, including three EU projects and multiple national projects. Several novel technologies have also been developed based on the station.  The station is also a versatile tool for tasks such as the manipulation and assembling of microchips, microforce probes, optoelectronic components, and soft components.

• Robotic electromagnetic needles

  The robotic electromagnetic needle system has two independent needles, each with a 3 DoF nanopositioning system (workspace 12 mm x 12 mm x 12 mm, nanometer resolution), and an electromagnetic needle with a tip as sharp as 2-micron in radius. The sharp tip allows the device to create a great magnetic field gradient, and hence great force on small magnetic objects not achievable with conventional coil configurations. The robotic electromagnetic needles are compatible with an inverted optical microscope for manipulating biological specimens and cells. However, the device can operate other specimens or with other vision systems as well.

• Gel threading station

  The gel threading station can dispense and thread natural or artificial gel matter automatically. One special function of the system is that it can control the force at great resolution during threading or solidification of the gell, achieving a high degree of control of the threading process that cannot be found with normal pressure or velocity-regulated threading systems. The station has been demonstrated to be a useful tool for studying fiber threading with biomaterial researchers.

• Ferrofluidic micromanipulator

  The ferrofluidic micromanipulator is a device that manipulates the matter on the air-liquid interface by deforming the liquid surface contactlessly using magnetic interaction between the eight-solenoids and the magnetic liquid. This highly programmable liquid surface can manipulate any objects floating on the liquid surface, including electronic components, biological seeds, and oil and gel droplets, whereas those objects can be made of non-magnetic materials. Alternatively, this device can also manipulate magnetic particles floating on the liquid surface.

• Acoustic plate micromanipulation system

  The acoustic plate micromanipulation system moves objects on a plate by generating a complicated acoustic force field on the surface of the plate. The acoustic field can be generated by altering the frequency of the actuator under the plate, for example, according to musical notes. Using vision feedback and a model of the acoustic force field, a properly designed algorithm can manipulate single objects, multiple particles, and a swarm of objects, both in the air or underwater.

• 9-DOF nanorobotic platform

  This is our teaching platform, including two 3 DoF translational nanopositioners (workspace 6 mm x 6 mm x 6 mm, nanometer resolution), one mobile platform with two translational DoFs (6 mm x 6 mm), and one rotational DoFs (360-degree continuous). Usually, a microgripper has been mounted on one of the two 3 DoF positioners, and another end-effect (e.g. needle, dispenser) can be mounted on the other positioner. 

Software environment

• Most of the mobile platform and the end-effectors are controlled using our home-built modular AutomationBase software, which supports easy programming of the devices using Python scripts.

Microscopes

• Nikon Eclipse Ti2 
• Zeiss Axioscope 5
• Lyncee tec DHM
• Zeiss Axio Vert. A1
• Scanning droplet adhesion microscope
• Numerous tube microscopes

High-speed cameras

• Phantom V2012
• Phantom Miro LC310

Contact angle goniometer

• Biolin Scientific Theta Lite

Numerous electromagnetic and piezoelectric motorized stages, micro/nano force sensors, micro/nano displacement sensors, contact and noncontact droplet dispensers, linear and power amplifiers, DAQ devices, video cameras, etc.