Kinematics of Micro Parallel Robots: Research on MEMS Kinematics

A micro parallel mechanism fabricated by MEMS technology can be part of an electro-mechanical system, for applications including switching, focusing, steering, or vibration stabilizing. The current investigation takes into consideration the micro manufacturing limitations, and suggests special robot architectures along with kinematic treatment to realize robots on the sub-millimeter scale. This approach is denoted as MEMS kinematics, since it comprises both MEMS constraints and fundamental kinematic rules in mechanism design. The research contains two parts: (A) First, we suggest kinematic architectures of parallel mechanisms that are suitable for MEMS fabrication. The mechanisms consist of only revolute joints and linear actuators located at the base. They allow the moving platform to have a full six degrees-of-freedom, or pure translational motion. (B) Second, we discuss large clearances at the joints that may appear due to the manufacturing techniques. Tools for analyzing the mechanism behavior are introduced, enabling graphical representation of assembly modes changing, and external forces that the platform withstands with no motion even in the presence of the joint clearances.

Dr. Hagay Bamberger and Dr. Alon Wolf were supervised by Prof. Moshe Shoham at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion ¿ Israel Institute of Technology. Their research is focused on robot structures and kinematics, as well as applications of parallel robots, especially in the medical field.