A fully functional micro transportation system with strider-like movement of micro containers

This paper presents a novel micro transportation system (MTS), which can drive micro containers in both straight and curved paths, based on electrostatic and ratchet mechanism. The micro container, which has driving-wings and anti-reverse-wings attached to the central ´backbone´, is driven by electrostatic actuator through the ratchet racks in perpendicular direction. The container with the length and width of 450 mum and 250 mum, respectively, moves like a water strider with desirable velocity up to 200 mum/sec in the straight and curved paths. In order to create the smart and flexible MTS, the elemental modules, e.g. straight, turning and separation modules with the same size (6 mm x 6 mm) have been developed. Therefore, different configurations of the MTS can be created flexibly by assembling the elemental modules.