Force Sensing and Control in Micromanipulation

In micromanipulation, the size of the manipulated object is usually much less than 1 mm in a single dimension, in which case gravitational and inertial forces are no longer dominant. This leads to problems (for manipulation through force) that are not evident in the macroworld, and for which the macroworld techniques alone may not be adequate to provide solutions. This paper surveys critical issues and their available solutions related to force control in micromanipulation. It focuses on: 1) techniques for dealing with adhesion forces and 2) methods for force sensing and control