Alexander Shirinov's
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RESEARCH
INTERESTS
Development of the new
art of
pressure microsensors from piezoelectric polymers
Microrobotics
Integration of
force microsensors into microrobots
Microrobotics and
Human-machine Interfaces, Haptics
Medical Devices and
Systems
Pressure microsensors from piezoelectric polymers
Pressure sensors for the measurement of dynamic and static
pressures in liquids and gases have been developed at KEmikro, RWTH
Aachen University of Technology. These pressure sensors consist of a
polymer housing and a sensing element made from a piezoelectric
polymer. These pressure sensors have low cost, good accuracy and
durability.
Microrobots
and fields of their application
Microrobots are robots with small dimensions of a few cubic cm, and a
capability of high precision manipulation with a nanometer accuracy.
Many applications require nano- and micromanipulation, for example:
- Micro assembly - hybrid Microsystems require new micro assembling
techniques.
- Quality control in semiconductor technology - nanomanipulators are
useful in this field.
- Flexible nanomanipulation and nanopositioning devices are needed for
research in the field of nanotechnology.
- Microrobots can be used in microbiology, cell biology and medicine,
for instance for in vitro fertilization or for genetic research.
Most of the existent microrobots use piezoelectric actuators. Such
microrobots have a working volume of tens of cubic centimeters and an
accuracy of few nanometers. Some companies produce robots with
conventional drives for micromanipulations. The accuracy of such robots
is around several µm. On figure 1 presented a
micromanipulator produced by Kleindiek Nanotechnik (left) and a
nanomanipulator produced by Klocke Nanotechnik (right). Both these
micromanipulators use piezoelectric actuators and have positioning
accuracy around several nanometers.
Fig.1: Micromanipulators produces by
Kleindiek
and Klocke Nanotechnik
Integration
of force microsensors into microrobots
The use of various high-resolution sensors is of great importance in
microrobotics because of very small and sensitive parts. Current sensor
concepts for the manipulation and assembly of microobjects mainly
pursue the application of visual systems. In micro assembly and
nanohandling, however, force and tactile feedback is indispensable for
a reliable and non-destructive manipulation of fragile micro objects.
During micro assembly and nanohandling very small gripping and contact
forces in the range of 0.1 µN up to 200 µN and more
have to be sensed with nanonewton resolution. Within my research work I
have integrated a piezoresistive Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
cantilever into a gripper of a microrobot and performed a teleoperation
of microrobots with force feedback. The teleoperation of microrobots
was realised under a light microscope and in a Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM) chamber. The strain gauge force sensors have been also
used in the applications where relatively high forces had to be
measured.
Fig.2: Piezoresistive cantilevers: with integrated Wheatstone bridge
(left)
and for 3D measurements (right)
Fig.3: Overview of the SEM based nanohandling station for the
teleoperation of
microrobots with force feedback
Microrobotics
and Human-Machine Interfaces
At the Institute of Microrobotics and Control Engineering, University
of Oldenburg I have developed haptic interfaces for the teleoperation
of microrobots and scanning electron microscope (SEM)-based
nanohandling stations. Within my research work I have developed
mechanics, kinematics, electronics and software for haptic devices.
Different haptic interfaces have been developed including "force
feedback mouse", 3DOF haptic and Haptic Interface for a Microrobot Cell
(HIMiC). Using these haptic interfaces it is possible to perform
teleoperation of microrobots in an SEM chamber and under a light
microscope. By means of the developed haptic interfaces the
teleoperated control of microrobots and the SEM-based nanohandling
station was realized.
The control system of the nanohandling station and the haptic
interfaces was developed in Labview and Microsoft Visual C++
programming languages.
Fig.4: Haptic Interface for a
Microrobot Cell
Fig.5: Control panel of the Haptic Interface for a Microrobot Cell
HIMiC Movie (7,56MB)
Fig.6: Uni-Oldenburg, AMiR, Teleoperation of the
SEM-based nanohandling station
Fig.7: Handling of microobjects in the SEM
Handling 3
micrometer bundle of nanotubes (1,42MB movie)
Handling 10
micrometer bundle of nanotubes (1,38MB movie)
Fig.8: Tracking of Nanotubes in the SEM
More information about this research work you can find from my publications,
from the homepage of the Institute
of Microrobotics and Control Engineering and from the
Lectures of the International
Society for Haptics.
Medical
Devices and Systems
As an undergraduate and a graduate student within time period from 1997
till 2001, I have been developing an information processing and
measuring system to control a limb bone fracture union rate. This
system measured the rate of fracture union by means of measuring the
electric specific impedance of limb at different frequencies in
different points along the limb. The focused alternating current
100µA with frequency from 10KHz till 200KHz was used in these
measurements.
The developed method and the device were used for the determination of
healing rates at patients with fractures and periostitis in Azerbaijan
Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics.
Fig.9: Institute of Traumatology and
Orthopedics, fracture healing
diagnostics with the developed device
More information about this research work
you can find from my publications.