Touching the microworld

What if you could touch objects smaller then the width of your hair and perceive their universe ?

This is the aim of IOTA Project, funded by ANR France. We are using the power of light to manipulate cells and molecules, and let the user control and feel the interaction with his fingertips.

SURFACE HAPTICS

Capabilities

• Modulates fingertip friction digitally
• Continuous and transients features
• High-bandwidth position measurement

Challenges

• Variability of friction force
• Effect of pressing force

Optical Tweezers

• A tightly focused laser beam to trap micro objects (1 - 5 µm)
• Non-contact multi object manipulation
• Laser wavelength : 1070nm
• Lase power: 400mW

• 3D force measurement  :
• High bandwidth position measurement with an asynchronous camera
• Trap stiffness calibration

Publications and events

• Ultrasonic friction modulation modifies the area of contact, not the shear strength, IEEE Eurohaptics 2022, Hambourg, Germany

• Interactive Laser-actuated micro-robots for Experimental Biology. International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technology (ISOT) 2021 - Best Paper Award

• Étude de la réflexion et de l'absorption des ondes ultrasonores par le doigt : application aux surfaces haptiques. Thèse de Doctorat de AMU 2021, Nicolas Huloux

• 6-DoF Optical-driven Micro-robots with Force Feedback Capabilities for Interactive Bio-manipulation. Thèse de Doctorat de Sorbonne Université 2020, Edison Gerena, GDR Robotique Prix de la Thèse

• Tele–Robotic Platform for Dexterous Optical Single-Cell Manipulation. Micromachines, 2019

• Improving optical micromanipulation with force-feedback bilateral coupling. ICRA 2020, Paris, France

• Robotic Optical-micromanipulation Platform for Dexterous Remote Single-Cell Manipulation. MARSS 2019 July, Helsinki, Finland

• High-bandwidth 3D Multi-Trap Actuation Technique for 6-DoF Real-Time Control of Optical Robots, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 2019  [DOI]

• Overcoming fingertip friction variability with surface haptics force-feedback, In proc. of Eurohaptics 2018, Pisa, Italy. Best Student Paper award  [DOI]

• Perception of ultrasonic switches involves large discontinuity of the mechanical impedance,     IEEE Transactions on Haptics [DOI]

• High-bandwidth 3D Force Feedback Optical Tweezers for Interactive Bio-manipulation. 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vancouver, Canada. Best Student Paper nominee [DOI]

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