Micro roboter using new processes for electro active bi and tri dimensional transducers

The goal of the project is the piezoelectric approach to components for microrobotic systems with accurate actuators and sensor modules "feeling" the adjacency. It is to allow a reaction to the situation in the surroundings (force return, measurement of the elasticity of the tissues, etc.
In minimally invasive surgical devices, the potential of piezoelectric materials is the possibility to integrate together tactile/force feedback sensor and the actuation system, in some way. A problem is the reduction of the input voltages which are needed for the actuators.
The dispositive is shaped as a piezoelectric micro gripper system with four degrees of freedom, able to be used as well as micro manipulator for the handling of very small and weak parts like tissues or cells as a sensor for force return.

An important problem in non invasive surgery is the restoring of the palpation capabilities for having an idea of the health of the tissues. Another problem is the handling of very weak parts, tissues or cells and the measurement of their elasticity. Thus these feeling systems could be also used for collecting in vivo data on the elasticity of tissues and for tissue modeling or for the calibration of the prehension forces. With its small sizes the dispositive can be integrated into non invasive surgery tools.
Another application is the handling of very small and weak parts for the assembly of micro and nano systems.

Intelligent micro gripper,
with force return,
low voltage micro actuator,
force measurement,
manipulation of very small tissues,
cells,
parts,
non invasive surgery,
assembly of micro and nano parts

Expert in thin multi layers (for example of AlN, ZnO, etc.)

Realisation of the gripper tips with piezoelectric thin layers

Laboratory of public or private research

No