A microgripper using flexible electro-rheological valves

As a soft handling microdevice, we propose and develop a novel ER microgripper using flexible ER valves (FERVs). An FERV controls electro-rheological fluid (ERF) flow by the apparent viscosity increase due to the applied electric field. Each of the plural arms in the gripper consists of an FERV, a movable chamber and a displacement constraint element and bends with the inner pressure increase controlled by the FERV. The MEMS fabrication processes for the FERV, movable chamber and displacement constraint element are developed and an arm is successfully fabricated. The characteristics of the FERV are experimentally clarified and the bending motion of the arm is demonstrated.