The goal of this work is to develop a better fundamental understanding of the actuation and force sensing required for micromanipulation (objects from 5-500 microns) by exploring the following hypothesis: it is possible to manipulate micro-sized rigid and flexible objects while measuring physical properties, such as stiffness, by using the same microfinger to act simultaneously as an actuator and sensor. This hypothesis is explored both theoretically and experimentally by creating a set of smaller and smaller microgrippers. Two models, one analytical, the other numeric, of this new microfinger will be developed to predict performance as a function of size. Experiments using actual microgrippers verify the quality of the model.
The work impacts science, education, and outreach to minority populations. A compliant microgripper is an enabling technology to manipulate flexible and fragile bio-objects for applications in bioengineering, microbiology and genomics. A microgripper squeezes an oocyte to determine its viability by measuring the stiffness of the cell before subsequent injection of DNA or RNA, turning tedious manual procedures into programmed, automatic sequences, thereby reducing cost. New ways of detecting diseases, such as malaria, by measuring physical properties of cells with the microgripper become possible. Broader impacts include education and outreach. Great emphasis is spent on having supported students give talks about this technology at local middle schools and high schools to entice the next generation to become engineers. These talks improve the professional capabilities of the graduate students while simultaneously demonstrating to young students the purpose of studying math and science.
