CAREER: Dexterous Biomimetic Micromanipulation Using Artificial Muscles: Modeling, Sensing, and Control

该职业建议描述了一个集成的研究和教育计划，将为实现PIs的职业目标奠定基础：通过开发新颖的建模和控制方法来交付更小、更智能的系统，并以跨学科的视角培养未来的控制工程师。特别是，提出的研究旨在通过开发建模，传感和控制策略来解决ipmc在驱动和传感中的时变非线性行为，充分实现电子聚合物-金属复合材料（ipmc）的潜力，非正式地称为人造肌肉，在操纵微妙的微尺度物体（例如，单个生物细胞的捕获和运输以及3DMEMS结构的组装）。这项研究将有四个核心重点：1。开发一个控制导向的模型，捕获IPMC的基本动力学和非线性，包括从IPMC执行器的弯曲曲率到其电气行为的滞后和非线性反馈耦合。2 . ipmc的两种原始传感方法的研究：一种利用非线性补偿利用ipmc内置的传感能力，另一种利用pi组观察到的曲率-电行为耦合。针对IPMC执行器中主要非线性的控制方案的开发，包括滞回动态系统的自适应逆控制方法，以适应IPMC行为的可能变化。设计和制造具有ipmc同时作为结构、致动器和传感器功能的仿生微机械臂，并通过操纵微珠和生物细胞验证所提出的建模、传感和控制方法（与密歇根州立大学的生物医学工程师合作）。智力优势：提出的研究将通过识别和适应控制设计中的主要非线性，使IPMC执行器在其全致动范围内实现快速，精确的控制。开发的传感方案可以潜在地消除对外部传感器的需求，从而产生更小的系统。缩放定律的理论和实验研究将有助于理解微型IPMC致动器和传感器的能力和局限性，并为主动抖动方案的设计提供见解，以克服粘附，这是微操作中的一个关键问题。因此，提议的项目将促进紧凑，灵巧的基于ipmc的微操作系统的发展，同时激励建模和控制新问题的配方和解决方案。更广泛的影响：拟议的研究将为生物细胞和微设备的操作提供一种创新的方法，促进生物研究、生物技术和微技术的进步。通过与环境机器人公司的合作，开发的控制和传感方案将应用于若干基于ipmc的生物医学应用（例如，用于药物输送的可植入微型泵），对医疗保健有潜在影响。与研究项目相结合，PI将建立智能材料和系统的跨学科课程，包括涉及工业合作伙伴的高级设计课程（PI已获得SPIE的种子资金）和微纳米系统中的智能传感器和执行器研究生课程。作为密歇根州立大学多元化项目办公室主持的本科生研究项目的指导老师，pii将让女性和少数族裔学生参与开发包含智能传感器和执行器的仿生微型机器人，并进一步使用这些微型机器人作为有吸引力的动手教育工具包，以激发K-12学生对科学和工程的兴趣。

PROJECT SUMMARYThis CAREER proposal describes an integrated research and education program that will build afoundation for achieving the PIs career goals: to deliver smaller and smarter systems by developingnovel modeling and control methodologies, and to train tomorrows control engineers with crossdisciplinaryperspectives. In particular, the proposed research aims to fully realize the potential ofIonic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs), informally known as artificial muscles, in manipulation ofdelicate, microscale objects (e.g., capture and transport of single biological cells and assembly of 3DMEMS structures), by developing modeling, sensing, and control strategies to address time-varying,nonlinear behaviors of IPMCs in actuation and sensing. The research will have four core thrusts:1. Development of a control-oriented model capturing essential dynamics and nonlinearities inIPMCs, including both hysteresis and nonlinear feedback coupling from the bending curvatureof an IPMC actuator to its electrical behavior.2. Investigation of two original sensing approaches for IPMCs: one exploiting IPMCs built-insensory capability using nonlinear compensation, the other utilizing the curvature-to-electricalbehavior coupling observed by the PIs group.3. Development of control schemes targeting the major nonlinearities in IPMC actuators, includingadaptive inverse control methods for hysteretic, dynamical systems to accommodate possiblevariation of IPMC behaviors.4. Design and fabrication of a biomimetic micromanipulator with IPMCs functioning simultaneouslyas structures, actuators, and sensors, and validation of the proposed modeling, sensing,control methods through manipulation of microbeads and biological cells (in collaboration witha biomedical engineer at Michigan State).Intellectual Merit:The proposed research will enable fast, precision control of IPMC actuators throughout their fullactuation ranges by identifying and accommodating major nonlinearities in the control design. Thedeveloped sensing schemes can potentially eliminate the need for external sensors, resulting in smallersystems. Theoretical and experimental investigation of scaling laws will help understand the capabilitiesand limitations of micro IPMC actuators and sensors, and offer insight into design of activedithering schemes to overcome adhesion, a critical problem in micromanipulation. The proposedproject will thus promote the development of compact, dexterous IPMC-based micromanipulationsystems while motivating formulations and solutions of new problems in modeling and control.Broader Impacts:The proposed research will provide an innovative approach to manipulation of biological cells and microdevices, facilitating advances in biological studies, biotechnology, and microtechnology. Throughcollaboration with Environmental Robots Inc., the developed control and sensing schemes will beapplied to a number of IPMC-based biomedical applications (e.g., implantable micropumps for drugdelivery), with potential impacts on health care. Integrating with the research program, the PI willestablish an interdisciplinary curriculum on Smart Materials and Systems including a senior designprogram involving industrial partners (the PI has secured seed funding from SPIE) and a graduatecourse Smart Sensors and Actuators in Micro and Nanosystems. As a faculty advisor to the undergraduateresearch program hosted by the Diversity Programs Office at Michigan State, the PIwill involve women and minority students in developing biomimetic microrobots incorporating smartsensors and actuators, and further use these microrobots as appealing, hands-on educational kits toinspire the interest of K-12 students in science and engineering.