An untethered, electrostatic, globally controllable MEMS micro-robot
An untethered, electrostatic, globally controllable MEMS micro-robot
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DOI：
10.1109/jmems.2005.863697
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发表时间：
2006-02-01
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Rus, D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Donald, BR;Levey, CG;Rus, D
我们提出了一个不受约束的，静电，MEMS微型机器人，尺寸为60 μ m的250 μ m的10 μ m。该装置由一个弯曲的悬臂式转向臂组成，安装在一个无约束的划痕驱动器（USDA）上。这两个部件由同一片导电多晶硅单片地制造，并且通过与下层电网的电容耦合来接收公共功率和控制信号。网格上的所有位置都接收相同的功率和控制信号，因此可以在不知道器件在衬底上的位置的情况下操作器件。组件致动器的单独控制提供了两种不同的运动步态（向前运动和转向），它们一起允许完全覆盖平面工作空间。这些MENIS微型机器人在向前运动过程中的转弯误差小于3.7度/mm，转弯半径小至176 μ m，速度超过200 μ m/sec，平均步长小至12 nm。它们已被证明可以开环运行超过35厘米的距离而不会出现故障，并且可以通过遥控操作来控制复杂的路径。这些设备是通过多用户表面微机械加工工艺制造的，并经过后处理以添加图案化的拉伸铬层，该层使转向臂向上卷曲。在牺牲释放之后，用真空微探针将器件转移到电网进行测试。该网格由涂有13 μ m微加工电极的硅衬底组成，以2 μ m间隔的叉指状方式排列。电极由一层电子束蒸发的二氧化锆绝缘，因此放置在电极顶部的器件将响应于施加的电压而经受静电力。控制波形通过电容功率耦合广播到设备，并由设备主体的机电响应解码。系统中的滞后允许响应于这些电信号的n = 2位状态信息的板上存储。设备本身内的板上状态信息的存在允许两个设备子系统（USDA和转向臂）中的每一个被单独寻址和控制。我们描述了这种通信和控制策略，并显示电压选择性致动的所有2 n系统状态的必要和充分条件，无论是对于我们的设备（n = 2），并为更一般的情况下（其中n是较大的）。
We present an untethered, electrostatic, MEMS micro-robot, with dimensions of 60 mu m by 250 mu m by 10 mu m. The device consists of a curved, cantilevered steering arm, mounted on an untethered scratch drive actuator (USDA). These two components are fabricated monolithically from the same sheet of conductive polysilicon, and receive a common power and control signal through a capacitive coupling with an underlying electrical grid. All locations on the grid receive the same power and control signal, so that the devices can be operated without knowledge of their position on the substrate. Individual control of the component actuators provides two distinct motion gaits (forward motion and turning), which together allow full coverage of a planar workspace. These MENIS micro-robots demonstrate turning error of less than 3.7 degrees/mm during forward motion, turn with radii as small as 176 mu m, and achieve speeds of over 200 mu m/sec with an average step size as small as 12 nm. They have been shown to operate open-loop for distances exceeding 35 cm without failure, and can be controlled through teleoperation to navigate complex paths. The devices were fabricated through a multiuser surface micromachining process, and were postprocessed to add a patterned layer of tensile chromium, which curls the steering arms upward. After sacrificial release, the devices were transferred with a vacuum microprobe to the electrical grid for testing. This grid consists of a silicon substrate coated with 13-mu m microfabricated electrodes, arranged in an interdigitated fashion with 2-mu m spaces. The electrodes are insulated by a layer of electron-beam-evaporated zirconium dioxide, so that devices placed on top of the electrodes will experience an electrostatic force in response to an applied voltage. Control waveforms are broadcast to the device through the capacitive power coupling, and are decoded by the electromechanical response of the device body. Hysteresis in the system allows on-board storage of n = 2 bits of state information in response to these electrical signals. The presence of on-board state information within the device itself allows each of the two device subsystems (USDA and steering arm) to be individually addressed and controlled. We describe this communication and control strategy and show necessary and sufficient conditions for voltage-selective actuation of all 2 n system states, both for our devices (n = 2), and for the more general case (where n is larger.)