AFM-based micro force sensor and haptic interface for a nanohandling robot

Nanohandling robots are the result of increasing research activities at the border between microsystem technology and robotics. Today, robots with dimensions of a few cm³ can be developed. Like conventional robots, microrobots represent a complex system that usually contains several different types of actuators and sensors. The measurement of gripping forces is the most important sensor application in micro-handling besides visual servoing to protect the parts from too high surface pressures and thereby damage the object during the assembly process. In this paper, suitable force sensing techniques are described, and a concept for the measurement of gripping forces in nanohandling robotics with AFM cantilever-based sensors is introduced. Furthermore, a haptic interface which allows the operator to feel and control the forces in the micro world is presented.