A two dimensional vision-based force sensor for microrobotic applications

We present a two-dimensional, vision-based force sensor, capable of sensing micro-Newton level forces for use in microrobotic applications. Our design consists of a planar, elastic mechanism with known force-deflection characteristics. A CCD camera attached to an optical microscope is used to track the deformation of the mechanism as it is used to manipulate objects in a microrobotic test-bed. By observing the displacements of select points in the mechanism, the manipulation forces can be extracted in real-time to achieve force-guided manipulation of micro-scale objects. The modeling, design, microfabrication, calibration and experimental validation of the force sensor for use in a microassembly application are presented here along with preliminary results for next generation designs.