This article presents the development of a one-finger gripper that uses a variable van der Waals force to grip, transport and actively release a single SiO2 spherical-like nano/micro-sized object. The diameters of the objects used (spheres) were between 800 nm to 50 μm. The van der Waals force becomes the dominant force for such objects (from 60 nN to 8 μN) if the materials are not electrically charged or have magnetic characteristics, and if the medium between the object and the one-finger gripper is a vacuum. Furthermore, the van der Waals force is several times greater than the gravitational force for such objects, so a two-finger gripper becomes unreliable when actively releasing a nano/micro object. Usually, the nano/micro object remains attached to one of the fingers at an unknown position and orientation. Our newly developed one-finger gripper does not have such problems. The van der Waals force between the gripper and the nano/micro object is increased by the deposition of H2O crystals on the gripper’s tip (gripping procedure), and decreased by sublimation of H2O crystals on the gripper’s tip (releasing procedure). This article presents both the theoretical conditions for the gripping/releasing of rigid spherical-like objects and experimental proof of these conditions. The results of our practical experimentation show that the gripping/releasing method can be applied to any shape of object and also to different materials.
A special approach is presented regarding an ice-gripping technique for microsized objects, from the initial idea to the test result. This approach uses water vapour under its triple point for ice forming when gripping or releasing the object. These conditions eliminate liquid water and cause deposition and sublimation to occur. The cooling of sharp apex tips is made possible in this way and eliminates great surface tension of liquid water that makes releasing difficult. The experimental setup and its components are described. It has been shown that this principle is capable of gripping, moving and releasing objects of 40 μm in size, requires no external intervention (such as electron beam-induced deposition) for releasing the object, is very simple and cost-effective and is shape and orientation insensitive.
Abstract-This paper describes the design of a nanorobotic application which includes: nanorobotic arm, Akiyama sensor system, a vacuum chamber, and an interface tools for the nanorobotic hardware developed using C++ and VRML languages in order to create a desktop virtual-reality environment which improves visualisation and prevents collision of the nanomanipulator hardware with the associated workspace. The presented experiment shows how the used man-machine interface could be used for communication between macro and micro/nano worlds.Index Terms-man-machine interface, nano robot, sensing nano objects.
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