On the Force Capabilities of Centripetal Force-actuated Microrobotic Platforms

In this paper a study is conducted on the force capabilities of centripetal force actuated microrobotic platforms. The aim is to exploit the centripetal forces generated by platform mounted vibrating micro-motors for micromanipulation purposes. First, an overview of the platform dynamics and motion capabilities is presented. The type of forces generated by the actuation mechanism as well as due to the impulsive interaction with the working environment are studied. Then design steps are proposed for (i) the reduction or elimination of undesired impulsive forces, (ii) the attenuation of the force ripple transmitted to the manipulated object. The outcome is a smooth, controllable force transmitted to the manipulated object. A cantilever is mounted on the platform and preliminary experiments are conducted.