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Abstract
The work presented gathers and explains the efforts aimed to put the basis for an efficient system to enable a robotic platform system for micro and nano manipulation to work in a very confined and controlled environment, as free as possible from the presence of pollution and humidity. In order to realize a prototype for a compact, economic and portable micro/nano-manipulation system, the design has been made involving multiples domains; from mechanical to control passing through optics and electronics. A mechanical interface has been designed to allow the maintenance of low vacuum by solving existing problems on the initial system.
An innovative 500X long focal optical magnification system has been designed and
tested to enable a future vision control. Then, in order to realize a computer-based
control system with an user-friendly interface, modifications to the power supply
system have been done, thus, a voltage amplification to supply the piezo-actuators
has been obtained. Last phase, before the tests has been the programming of the
computer-based control through a simple interface combined with a keyboard
control. Finally, interesting manipulations of nylon microspheres with diameters
between 50[µm] and 5[µm], and Graphene thin films, have been successfully achieved
thanks to new piezo-actuators control system.
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Riassunto
Il lavoro presentato raccoglie e dimostra gli sforzi mirati alla realizzazione di un efficiente sistema in grado di abilitare l’uso di una piattaforma micro-robotica per micro e nano-manipolazioni all’interno di un ambiente estremamente confinato e controllato, il più possibile libero di impurità ed umidità. Con il fine ultimo di realizzare una apparecchiatura portatile ed economica sono stati fatti i primi passi per ottenere un sistema completo ed efficiente. Problematiche coinvolgenti molteplici domini sono stati affrontati a partire dalla progettazione meccanica fino al controllo computerizzato passando attraverso l’ottica e l’elettronica. È stata progettata una interfaccia meccanica che permettesse di mantenere il vuoto risolvendo i problemi esistenti. È stato studiato e proposto un sistema ottico di ingrandimento 500X a lunga focale per abilitare un controllo visivo dell’operatore durante le manipolazioni e per permettere un futuro controllo in “anello chiuso”
tramite analisi delle immagini. Sono state operate modifiche alla elettronica di comando realizzando un sistema di amplificazione di segnale con il fine di rendere possibile un controllo computerizzato. Infine è stato realizzato il sistema di controllo ed attuazione in “anello aperto” tramite una opportuna interfaccia Matlab, rendendo possibile anche un più diretto ed intuitivo controllo tramite tastiera. Tutto il lavoro svolto ha permesso di ottenere una fine comando dei piezo-attuatori rendendo possibili interessanti manipolazione con microsfere di Nylon, tra i 50[µm]
ed i 5[µm] e sottili film di Grafene.
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Acknowledgements
“Everyone becomes someone thanks to the experience you do and people you meet. You grow catching every single bit of occasion making it part of your life’s portfolio. Every time you meet a new person your life change anyway in positive, because people permitting you to take part and share their life let you understand much more of yourself, first of everything. When the meeting is with special person all this is exponentially amplified. It seems like the feelings are consistent and touchable, the preciousness of the experience is the one of a treasure and your spirit makes not steps but jumps forward. Last years have been the hardest of my life but the ones that have lead me to begin being someone. Thanks to some of these people met even most difficult and hardest moments have been overcome letting me get even great successes. A book could be spent to tank every single person and friend to whom I feel to be in debt for the support they gave me in the years and even during such shorts periods as for this last experience in Paris”.
I need to thank my professor Marco Beghini for the technical knowledge he has transmitted to me during the university and the support given in every meeting. Thanks to my second one thesis director Gualtiero Fantoni for the initial support given before this experience in Paris.
Thanks to the professor Stéphane Régnier, my french thesis director, that gave me such high satisfactions for the work I did.
For these month spent at the ISIR, I have to thank Bruno Sauvet for the talks had and the advices given, and especially to Juan Camilo Acosta aka “Puco” for the help, the patient and the liking given.
Thanks to all the true friends met in Paris and especially to Ilaria Renna, Riccardo Silini, Michele Taole and Elisa Zanardi for all the time and amazing experiences spent together and to Margherita Biffi that has been a wonderful house mate.
A special thank goes to my best friends Federica Corbelli, Samuele Doratori, Giovanni Giorgi, Francesca Grassi, Tommaso Indrizzi, Laura Lemma, Eduardo Pierini, Riccardo Trevisan, Matteo Trichilo and Leonardo Vicarelli for the experiences done and the time spent together during university years.
But the highest and most special gratitude goes to my father, mother, brother, my cousin Francesco Allegretti and Agnese Verzuri, they have let me grow up most of everyone and everything. What I have became is due to the esteem, motivation, unconditional love and support they gave to me.
...thanks to you my dreams are coming true!
Ludovico Frati Paris, 30 November 2011
