Micro-force sensing in a micro-robotic system

Microrobots are the result of increasing research activities at the border between microsystem technology and robotics. Today, robots with dimensions of a few cm³ can be developed. Like conventional robots, microrobots represent a complex system that usually contains several different types of actuators and sensors. The measurement of gripping forces is the most important sensor application in micro-manipulation besides visual servoing to protect the parts from excessive surface pressures and thereby damage the object during the assembly process. In this paper suitable force sensing methods are described, and a concept for the measurement of gripping forces in micro-robotics with AFM cantilevers is introduced. Furthermore, the signal processing and haptic interface used are presented.