A Strategy for Vision-Based Controlled Pushing of Microparticles

In this paper, a strategy for controlled pushing is presented for microassembly of 4.5 mum polystyrene particles on a flat glass substrate using an atomic force microscope probe tip. Real-time vision based feedback from a CCD camera mounted to a high resolution optical microscope is used to track particle positions relative to the tip and target position. Tip-particle system is modeled in 2D as a nonholonomic differential drive robot. Effectiveness of the controller is demonstrated through experiments performed using a single goal position as well as linking a series of target positions to form a single complex trajectory. Cell decomposition and wavefront expansion algorithms are implemented to autonomously locate a navigable path to a specified target position. Control strategy alleviates problem of slipping and spinning during pushing.