A 2-DOF electrostatic sheet conveyer using wire mesh for desktop automation

The present paper proposes an electrostatic actuator that realizes two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion of various sheet-like objects. The actuator utilizes electrostatic actuation technology based on induced charges. The technology can directly handle sheet objects, such as papers and plastic films with a particular surface resistance. The structure of the actuator is flat and thin, and thus it can be easily embedded on any desktop so that the desktop can have a function to physically interact with users. With the function, the desktop can be automated in such a way that it drives various objects on it to help users perform various desktop tasks. The prototype actuator presented here uses wire mesh as its electrode panel to realize two-DOF motion. The structure of the wire mesh and basic driving principle of two-DOF actuation are described. The challenge that arises when utilizing wire mesh panel is that actuations for objects can be sometimes coupled if there are multiple objects on the panel; for example, if we try to move only one object, the other objects nearby would move together unexpectedly. To solve this problem, the paper proposes a selective actuation technique that realizes handling of any one object with keeping other objects at rest