Capillary manipulation & microassembly
main / research / capillary manipulation and hybrid microassembly
Fine motion planning and control are key tasks in robotic manipulation, typically involving advanced algorithms. Achieving high-precision fine motion is challenging at high speeds due to the increased difficulty in accurately predicting and controlling the robot's trajectory. Moreover, disturbances such as mechanical vibrations, sensor noise, and environmental forces further complicate achieving precision, especially when manipulating micro-objects.
In this line of research, we address the dual challenges of high-speed fine motion planning and high-precision fine motion control using a physical process known as capillary self-alignment. The principle behind this method is that the robot can bring an object close to its target site quickly but with limited precision. At the target location, a droplet of liquid is introduced, creating surface tension forces that pull the object into precise alignment with the target. This approach leverages the inherent properties of fluids to achieve a level of precision that can be difficult to achieve using normal robotic control.
We have conducted extensive research on capillary manipulation and surface-tension-assisted hybrid microassembly, including the of how self-alignment and robotic pick-and-place can work together, how different process parameters, including surface wetting properties, topographical features, fabrication precision, and material softness, affect the surface-tension driven (or capillary) self-alignment. We have also carefully studied how the initial position bias of the microcomponent affects the self-alignment and microassembly results.
The work has also been applied to the integration of semiconductor chips, laser diodes, and 3D integration of microchips, including integration into an industrial pilot study in the EU FP7 project where Prof. Zhou was the coordinator.
We have also developed different capillary manipulation techniques, e.g., capillary manipulation methods for pick-and-place of microchips, soft ribbons, and microfibers, as well as self-alignment capillary grippers for microchips and microfibers.
Selected publications:
- Sariola, V., J盲盲skel盲inen, M., and Zhou, Q., 鈥溾,&苍产蝉辫;IEEE Transaction on Robotics, Vol. 26, Issue 6, pp. 965 - 97, 2010.
- Song, L., Chang, B., Feng, Y., Jin, J. and Zhou, Q., 2023., "", IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Vol. 28, Issue, pp. 1957 - 1965, 2023.
- Chang, B., Liu, H., Ras, R. H. A. and Zhou, Q., , Micromachines, vol. 10, no. 10, p. 684, Oct. 2019.
- Mastrangeli, M., Zhou, Q., Sariola, V., Lambert, P., 鈥溾,&苍产蝉辫;Soft Matter, 13 (2), 304-327, 2017.
- Chang, B., Zhou, Q., Wu, Z., Liu, Z., Ras, R. and Hjort, K., , Micromachines, vol. 7, no. 3, p. 41, Mar. 2016.
- Chang, B., Shah, A., Zhou, Q., Robin, R., Hjort, K., 鈥,鈥&苍产蝉辫;Scientific Reports, 5, 14966, 2015.
- Routa, I., Chang, B., Shah, A., Zhou, Q., 鈥溾,&苍产蝉辫;IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 23 (4), pp. 819-828, 2014.
- Shah, A., Chang, B., Suihkonen S., Zhou, Q. and Lipsanen, H., 鈥溾,&苍产蝉辫;IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 22 (3), 739 鈥 746, 2013.
- Chang, B., Shah, A., Routa, I., Lipsanen, H., and Zhou, Q., "," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, no. 11, 114105 (5 pp), 2012.
- Chang, B., Sariola, V., Aura, S., Ras, R.H.A., Klonner, M., Lipsanen, H., and Zhou, Q., 鈥溾,&苍产蝉辫;Applied Physics Letters, vol. 99, 034104, 2011.