Teleoperated touch feedback from the surfaces at the nanoscale: modeling and experiments

In this paper, a teleoperated nanoscale touching system is proposed, and continuum nanoscale contact mechanics models are introduced. The tele-nanorobotic system consists of a piezoresistive nanoprobe with a sharp tip as the nanorobot and force-topology sensor, a custom-made 1-degree-of-freedom haptic device for force-feedback, three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) graphics display of the nano world for visual feedback, and a force-reflecting servo type scaled teleoperation controller. Using this system, one-dimensional and 3D touching experiments and VR simulations are realized. Scaling of nano-forces is one of the major issues of the scaled teleoperation system since nanometer scale forces are dominated by surface forces instead of inertial forces as in the macro world. As the force scaling approach, a heuristic rule is introduced where nano-forces are linearly scaled with an experimentally determined scaling parameter. Simulation results and preliminary experiments of touching silicon and InAs quantum dot nanostructures show that adhesion forces at the nanoscale can be felt repeatedly at the operator's hand, and the proposed system enables the nanoscale surface topography and contact/noncontact nano-force feedback.

I. Introduction

Handling of and interacting with smaller and smaller size objects where the human sensing, precision, and direct manipulation capabilities lack is one of the promising future trends in the robotics field. Due to the recent developments in the nanotechnology field, handling of materials especially at the molecular and nanometer scales has become a new challenging issue [1]–[5]. Fig. 1. Possible mechanical manipulation tasks using an AFM probe as a nanomanipulator.