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Published on: December 1, 2017
A Magnetic-Field-Assisted Milli-Scale Robotic Assembly Machine: An Approach to Parallel Robotic Automation Systems
Yan Liu1,2, Nuggehalli M Ravindra3,4
1Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science & Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102, USA. tcliuyan@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Utilizing large numbers of microrobots to heterogeneously integrate small devices to build advanced structures has long been a goal in the field of manufacturing automation. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel milli-scale robotic assembly machine with highly parallel capabilities and assisted with a programmable magnetic field. The prototype machine consists of a 16 × 16 array of electromagnets. Using this machine, we have successfully demonstrated the manipulation of up to nine milli-scale robots simultaneously. Moreover, two microrobots have been operated to demonstrate the proof of concept of two simultaneous pick-and-place light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The design and modeling of the microrobots is discussed.
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