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Springer Handbook of Robotics pp 671–716Cite as

Micro-/Nanorobots

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Abstract

The field of microrobotics covers the robotic manipulation of objects with dimensions in the millimeter to micron range as well as the design and fabrication of autonomous robotic agents that fall within this size range. Nanorobotics is defined in the same way only for dimensions smaller than a micron. With the ability to position and orient objects with micron- and nanometer-scale dimensions, manipulation at each of these scales is a promising way to enable the assembly of micro- and nanosystems, including micro- and nanorobots.

This chapter overviews the state of the art of both micro- and nanorobotics, outlines scaling effects, actuation, and sensing and fabrication at these scales, and focuses on micro- and nanorobotic manipulation systems and their application in microassembly, biotechnology, and the construction and characterization of micro and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). Material science, biotechnology, and micro- and nanoelectronics will also benefit from advances in these areas of robotics.

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Abbreviations

0-D:

zero-dimensional

1-D:

one-dimensional

2-D:

two-dimensional

3-D:

three-dimensional

ABF:

artificial bacterial flagella

AC:

alternating current

AFM:

atomic force microscope

AM:

actuator for manipulation

AP:

antipersonnel

ASIC:

application-specific integrated circuit

CCD:

charge-coupled device

CCW:

counterclockwise

CNT:

carbon nanotube

CU:

control unit

CVD:

chemical vapor deposition

CW:

clockwise

DNA:

deoxyribonucleic acid

DOF:

degree of freedom

DPN:

dip-pen nanolithography

DRIE:

deep reactive ion etching

e-beam:

electron-beam

EBID:

electron-beam induced deposition

EDM:

electrical discharge machining

FESEM:

field-emission SEM

HMDS:

hexamethyldisilazane

HRTEM:

high-resolution transmission electron microscope

IC:

integrated circuit

IR:

infrared

LIGA:

Lithographie, Galvanoumformung, Abformung

MBE:

molecular-beam epitaxy

MEMS:

microelectromechanical system

MITI:

Ministry of International Trade and Industry

MOCVD:

metallo-organic chemical vapor deposition

MST:

microsystem technology

MWNT:

multiwalled carbon nanotube

NEMS:

nanoelectromechanical system

NRM:

nanorobotic manipulator

OM:

optical microscope

PCI:

peripheral component interconnect

PID:

proportional–integral–derivative

PMMA:

polymethyl methacrylate

PR:

positive photoresist

PS:

power source

PVDF:

polyvinylidene fluoride

PVD:

physical vapor deposition

PZT:

lead zirconate titanate

QD:

quantum dot

RIE:

reactive-ion etching

RT:

room temperature

SEM:

scanning electron microscope

SET:

single electron transistor

SMA:

shape memory alloy

SNOM:

scanning near-field optical microscopy

SOI:

silicon-on-insulator

SPM:

scanning probe microscope

STM:

scanning tunneling microscope

SWNT:

single-walled carbon nanotube

TEM:

transmission electron microscope

UHV:

ultrahigh-vacuum

UV:

ultraviolet

vdW:

van der Waals

ZP:

zona pellucida

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Tannenstrasse 3, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Bradley J. Nelson

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, 428 South Shaw Lane, MI 48824-1226, East Lansing, USA

    Lixin Dong

  3. Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-8603, Nagoya, Japan

    Fumihito Arai

Authors
  1. Bradley J. Nelson
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  2. Lixin Dong
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  3. Fumihito Arai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bradley J. Nelson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125, Naples, Italy

    Bruno Siciliano

  2. Department of Computer Sciences, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, CA 94305, Stanford, USA

    Oussama Khatib

Video-References

Video-References

:

Artificial bacterial flagella available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/11

:

The electromagnetic control of an untethered microrobot available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/12

:

A transversely magnetized rod-shaped microrobot available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/13

:

Attogram mass delivery from a carbon nanotube available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/489

:

Multi-beam bilateral teleoperation of holographic optical tweezers available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/490

:

High-speed magnetic microrobot actuation in a microfluidic chip by a fine V-groove surface available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/491

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Linear-to-rotary motion converters for three-dimensional microscopy available from http://handbookofrobotics.org/view-chapter/27/videodetails/492

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Nelson, B.J., Dong, L., Arai, F. (2016). Micro-/Nanorobots. In: Siciliano, B., Khatib, O. (eds) Springer Handbook of Robotics. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32552-1_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32552-1_27

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