Robotica

Table of Contents - 2006 - Volume 24, Issue 03  


Article

An XYZ Micromanipulator with three translational degrees of freedom

Kimberly A. Jensen a1, Craig P. Lusk a1 and Larry L. Howell a1c1
a1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (USA)

Article author query
jensen ka   [Google Scholar] 
lusk cp   [Google Scholar] 
howell ll   [Google Scholar] 
 

Abstract

This paper introduces a three degree of freedom XYZ Micromanipulator (XYZM) that is fabricated in the $x$-$y$ plane and positions components in the $x$, $y$, and $z$ directions using three independent linear inputs. The mechanism positions components on a platform using three legs, each composed of a slider mechanism and a parallelogram mechanism.

Three versions of the XYZM were fabricated and tested using surface micromachining processes: the rigid-body, offset, and compliant XYZM. Slider displacements of 45 micrometers result in a predicted out-of-plane displacement of 188 micrometers for the rigid-body XYZM, 205 micrometers for the offset XYZM, and 262 micrometers for the compliant XYZM.

(Received June 14 2005)
(Published Online February 21 2006)


Key Words: XYZ Micromanipulator; Three inputs; Translational DOFs.

Correspondence:
c1 Corresponding author: E-mail: lhowell@byu.edu