Pneumatic Multi-DOF Micromanipulator

The emerging trend towards precision in robot-assisted microsurgical techniques stems from the increasing need to perform intricate and dexterous tasks within confined spaces. However, micromanipulators face challenges in size miniaturization, operational flexibility, and overall biocompatibility. To overcome these challenges, we propose a miniature pneumatic manipulator with multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) attitude adjustment capability. With dimensions no larger than 15 mm × 2.1 mm × 2.1 mm, it utilizes pneumatic actuation, making it adaptable to various complex environments. The microgripper section incorporates an innovative three-dimensional interleaved helical structure, allowing for both miniaturization and high clamping force, capable of lifting an object over 1700 times its own weight. This component can be mass-produced through a single-step 3-D printing process. The attitude adjustment mechanism, featuring a five-cavity microtube structure with pitch and yaw rotational DOF, is fabricated using a novel low-cost method to overcome micro-scale manufacturing challenges. The mechanism has ±136° of rotational angle in a single axis. Demonstrations of single-finger continuous microscopic threading and the orderly reorganization of disordered micro-objects validate the micromanipulator's ability to perform dexterous and complex manipulations in constrained spaces, similar to human hand capabilities, highlighting its potential in precision microsurgery and related fields.