Development of a robotic manipulator for micro-assembly operations

The author describes the first stage in the development of a robotic manipulator system for assembly, disassembly and adjustment of micro-mechanical devices. Mobility is provided by a six-degree-of-freedom parallel actuated manipulator using spring-tensioned tendons. A miniature gripper is actuated by shape memory alloy and incorporates an optical sensor to measure finger separation. The prototype system was constructed using readily available components and materials. The manipulator system can perform a minimum movements of less than 0.05 mm and grasp objects in the size range 0.2 mm to 2 mm. However, a lot of scope remains for improving the accuracy and resolution of the manipulator and reducing the size of the gripper