CAREER: Optically Transparent Gripper for Microassembly

该学院早期职业发展(CALEAR)奖为开发用于微装配的灵活且经济的机器人系统提供资金。这项研究将通过开发一种集成到自动化组装单元中的光学透明静电微夹持器来探索将静电力应用于视觉伺服微装配的可能性。将对几种高介电常数材料的剩余界面电荷和介电击穿进行表征，以优化夹持器的操作。还将建立俘获电荷的理论模型，并使用电场扫描探针显微镜(SPM)进行实验验证。利用扫描电子显微镜作为电荷写入工具，本研究的成果将扩展到碳纳米管和大分子的纳米组装和固定。如果成功，这项研究的结果将导致开发具有异质制造部件的复杂微系统的自动化制造的经济技术。它还将产生关于未来可能的纳米世界组装技术的实验和理论数据，基于电荷写入。概述的研究的跨学科性质将通过参与部件设计和系统集成为高年级本科生提供教育机会。还将开发一门研究生级实验室课程，介绍静电技术在微米和纳米尺度的制造和传感中的应用。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award provides funding for the development of a flexible and economical robotic system for micro-assembly. This research will explore the possibility of applying electrostatic forces to visually servoed micro-assembly, by developing an optically transparent electrostatic micro-gripper, integrated into an automated assembly cell. Characterization of the residual interfacial charge and dielectric breakdown of several high-dielectric-constant materials will be performed in order to optimize the operation of the gripper. A theoretical model for the trapped charge will also be developed and experimentally verified using an electric field scanning probe microscope (SPM). Using the SPM as a charge-writing tool, the results of this research will be extended to nano-assembly and fixturing of carbon nano-tubes and large molecules. If successful, the outcome of this research will lead to development of economical techniques for the automated manufacturing of complex micro-systems with heterogeneously manufactured components. It will also generate experimental and theoretical data on possible future assembly techniques for the nano-world, based on electric charge writing. The interdisciplinary nature of the outlined research will provide educational opportunities for senior-year undergraduate students through participation in component design and system integration. A graduate-level laboratory course on the application of electrostatic techniques in manufacturing and sensing at micro and nano-meter length scales will be also developed.