Fabrication and property analysis of a MEMS micro-gripper for robotic micro-manipulation

The micro-gripper is an essential device in micro-manipulation. A new micro-gripper fabrication process using MEMS technology is developed for a robotic micro-manipulation system. The mechanical stiffness of this gripper is analyzed with the Pseudo-Rigid Body Model to estimate the grip force of these micro-grippers of various scales and materials. The validity of the proposed model is verified by simulations and experiments. An experimental robotic micro-manipulation system consisting of this micro-gripper and a precision manipulator is implemented, and an actual gripping test is conducted to evaluate the robotic manipulation system. ► Properties of a MEMS gripper made with Nickel and Silicon were analyzed. ► Fabrication process of a Nickel micro-gripper was proposed. ► Mechanical stiffness of this gripper is analyzed with the Pseudo-Rigid Body Model. ► An experimental robotic micro-manipulation system consisting of this micro-gripper and a precision manipulator is implemented.