A proposal for a conveyance system with autonomous decentralized micro modules

A conveyance system based on the concept of distributed micromotion systems (DMMSs) fabricated by IC-compatible micromachining processes is proposed. The DMMS consists of many smart modules which have microsensors, microactuators, and controllers. Each module has primary autonomy to determine its motion based on information from surrounding modules. Information processing in DMMS is similar to that in a cellular automaton. The key idea is to coordinate simple motions of microactuators in order to carry objects. As an example, a positioning system that can convey objects to a desired point on a X-Y plane is discussed. The control scheme of the conveyance system and a microactuator that uses controlled air flow to levitate and convey objects are described