Interface Design for MicroBiomanipulation and Teleoperation

Current challenges in biomanipulations for life-sciences research include extensive operator training, low success rates and low consistency of operations. These problems were tackled here through the use of teleoperation techniques and the development of a unified interface for simultaneous control of all devices used for standard biomanipulations. The developed system was created with high-end commercial biomanipulation equipment similar to those currently in use at many research laboratories, and also included game joysticks for teleoperated control. These were integrated into a single system through the design of modular component abstractions and the implementation of a central control structure. This structure enabled the creation of an open, flexible and user-friendly biomanipulation system for improved operation performance. This paper describes the design and implementation of such system.