Teleoperated Micromanipulation System Manufactured by Cut-and-Fold Techniques

Abstract

We present a new teleoperated micromanipulation system in which all units of the system, wearable user interface devices and a slave micromanipulator, are manufactured by engraving, cutting, and folding two-dimensional materials. The designed manipulation system employs a simple hydraulic mechanism consisting of pairs of syringes that have different diameters, which allows for motion reduction and physical interaction between the master and the slave. As a result, users can precisely manipulate micro-objects without tremor, which was previously difficult with bare hands. This paper presents design considerations and features fabrication methods, performance metrics of this creative manipulation system, and a range of high-level micromanipulation abilities such as pick-and-place, microseparation, and three-dimensional microassembly. Highlighting rapid design and fabrication of a low-cost precision micromanipulation system, this paper proposes new applications of folded machines to wearable robots and microrobotics.