Hybrid vision/force feedback control for pushing micro-objects

In 2D microassembly applications, it is inevitable to position and orient polygonal micro-objects lying on a flat surface. Point contact pushing of micro-objects provides a feasible way to achieve the task and it is more flexible and less complex compared to pick and place operation. Due to the fact that in micro-world surface forces are much more dominant than inertial forces, and tend to be unevenly distributed, these dominant forces obstruct the desired motion of the micro-object when using point contact pushing alone. Thus by adopting an hybrid vision/force feedback scheme, it is possible to attain a translation motion of the object as the uncertainties due to varying surface forces and disorientation of the micro-object is compensated by force and vision feedback respectively. In this paper, a hybrid vision/force feedback scheme is proposed to push micro-objects with human assistance using a custom built tele-micromanipulation setup to achieve translational motion. The pushing operation is divided into two concurrent processes: In one human operator acts as an impedance controller alters the velocity of the pusher while in contact with the micro-object through scaled bilateral teleoperation to compensate for varying surface forces. In the other process, the desired line of pushing for the micro-object is determined continuously using visual feedback procedures so that it always compensate for the disorientation. Experimental results are demonstrated to prove nano-Newton range force sensing, scaled bilateral teleoperation with force feedback and pushing micro-objects.