Development of pneumatic end effector for micro robotic manipulators

Abstract

In this paper, a micro pneumatic end-effector for micromanipulation and microassembly with in-situ PVDF sensing is designed and calibrated. The micro pneumatic end-effector system consists of a DC micro-diaphragm pump and compressor, two regions of flexible latex tubes with different parameters and different function such as microtool and air channel. Effectively controlling the suction force and pressure are critical for the performance of the micro-pneumatic end-effector for micromanipulation and microassembly. The force sensing model was developed for the pneumatic end-effector system. An effective calibration method is proposed and its results verify the behavior of the developed pneumatic end-effector system. Ultimately the technology will provide a critical and major step towards the development of automated manufacturing process for batch assembly of micro devices, and also enhance micromanipulation. © 2005 IEEE.