Miniature Robot with Micro Capillary Capturing Probe for Surface Clearing Operation

Abstract

In this report, a micro capillary capturing probe based on the surface tension of water is described. This probe is composed of a capillary of glass, small solenoids, and a micro magnetic piston. The quick reciprocating motion of the magnetic piston which is accelerated by solenoids current can push and pull the water in the capillary. At the end of the capillary, the water drop can grow to reach the small object on the surface, contain it with the help of surface tension, and retract into the capillary. The basic principle and design will be discussed, and the experimental results of capturing small objects will be demonstrated. We successfully implement this active probe into our miniature precise robot for surface clearing operation.

An optical system for communication and sensing in millimetre-sized swarming microrobots

“…Numerous ways to imitate the concepts that biological swarms use have been researched in the past. For example, inch-sized robots were fabricated capable of leaving behind a magnetic footprint, which could be detected by other robots for communication and motion guidance [24]; furthermore the footprints fade with time, exactly as happens with a natural pheromone. Alternative principles are based on a virtual pheromone that can be simulated by a projected light gradient [25] or by robot-to-robot communication [26].…”