Position/attitude control of an object by controlling a fluid field using a grid pattern air nozzle

A manipulator which enables noncontact control of the position and attitude of an object on a plane by controlling a fluid field is proposed. The manipulator comprises 2 boards with grid pattern arrangements of holes and a parallel link robot which is capable of translational motion with 2 degrees of freedom and rotational motion with 1 degree of freedom in a plane. Air jets are discharged from the grid of holes. The direction of the air jets from the holes can be controlled by changing the positional relationship of the 2 boards by means of the parallel link robot. This makes it possible to form an air flow with a unidirectional fluid field or a vortex-like fluid field. When an object is placed in the fluid field, translational motion and rotational motion of the object are possible. If the position and attitude of the object are photographed and calculated using high speed camera and feedback control is performed, the position and attitude of the object can be controlled. The structure of the manipulator and the principle of control of the fluid field are described, and the possibility of controlling the translational motion and rotational motion of an object is demonstrated experimentally.