Manipulation Devices Research Articles

Touch or click friendly: Towards adaptive user interfaces for complex applications.

This study evaluated the usability of a direct manipulation device (touchscreen) vs. indirect manipulation devices (mouse and touchpad) on the selected Microsoft (MS) Word tasks as per ISO-9241-11 standard. MS Word was taken as an example of a complex application. The tasks were evaluated in terms of touch-friendly or click-friendly using efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction parameters to propose a customized task menu. The experiment was conducted with fifty-four participants, divided into three MS Word usage-based expertise groups. Each participant performed fifty-six tasks using a mouse, a touchpad, and a touchscreen. To assess task-level usability, individual one-way ANOVAs were performed for each task to gauge both efficiency and effectiveness. It's worth noting that the touchscreen significantly outperformed other input methods in just one specific task regarding effectiveness. Consequently, an ANCOVA was employed, with task completion time as the independent variable and the number of errors as a covariate, to further investigate effectiveness. A total of 19 (34%) of the total tasks were found to be significantly efficient with a mouse, while 21 (37.5%) were significantly efficient with a touchscreen. Based on the results, a customized menu is recommended for MS Word-like applications that combine actions in touch-friendly tasks and mouse-friendly tasks separately.

High-Throughput Continuous Free-Flow Dielectrophoretic Trapping of Micron-Scale Particles and Cells in Paper Using Localized Nonuniform Pore-Scale-Generated Paper-Based Electric Field Gradients.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) utilizes a spatially varying nonuniform electrical field to induce forces on suspended polarizable soft matter including particles and cells. Such nonuniformities are conventionally created using 2D or 3D micrometer-scale electrode arrays. Alternatively, insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) uses small micrometer-scale insulating structures to spatially distort and generate regions of localized field gradients to selectively trap, isolate, and concentrate bioparticles, including bacteria, viruses, red blood cells, and cancer cells from a suspending electrolyte solution. Despite significant advances in the microfabrication technology, the commercial adoption of DEP devices for soft matter manipulation remains elusive. One reason for low market penetration is a lack of low-cost and scalable fabrication methods to quickly microfabricate field-deforming structures to generate localized DEP-inducing electric field gradients. We propose here that paper-based devices can offer a low-cost and easy-to-use alternative to traditional iDEP devices. In this article, we demonstrate for the first time the ability to perform iDEP-style particle trapping using the naturally occurring micrometer-scale insulating porous structures of paper. In particular, we use polymeric laminated nonwoven fiberglass paper channels as a source of insulating structures for iDEP. We apply a flow of polarizable microparticles directly within the nonwoven channel and simultaneously drop an electric field perpendicular to the flow direction to induce DEP. We show the ability to readily trap and concentrate particles in paper by DEP with an applied voltage as low as 2 V using two different flow mechanisms: a constant fluid flow rate using an external pump and passive fluid flow by capillary wicking. Using a combination of micro computed tomography and finite element analysis, we then present a computational model to probe the microscale DEP force formation dynamics within the paper structure. This new paper-based iDEP platform enables the development of robust, low-cost, and portable next-generation iDEP systems for a wide variety of sample purification and liquid handling applications.

Pump‐Wavelength Sensitive Terahertz Spatiotemporal Metasurface

AbstractTerahertz (THz) technologies hold great promise for nondestructive precision imaging and wireless communication. Active tailoring of the THz field is highly desired for enhancing the resolution of imaging and increasing communication capacity. However, most THz field manipulation devices are limited by passive modulation and single‐dimensional external triggers. In this study, an innovative spatiotemporally tunable metasurface is proposed for the multidimensional dynamic manipulation of the THz field. The device combines a metasurface and two‐dimensional perovskite materials: the metasurface is responsible for modulation of the THz field in the spatial dimension, while the perovskite is responsible for modulation of the THz field in the temporal dimension. The pumping wavelength is an extra dimension for selectively switching the transmission of the THz field owing to the bandgap tunability of the perovskite. Accordingly, the functions of the metadevice can be multistage‐switched utilizing the pump‐wavelength sensitive control scheme. Based on this platform, dynamic switching of a THz multifocal lens and a dynamic display of holographic characters are experimentally demonstrated. The proposed metasurface provides a new pathway for multiple orders to manipulate the THz field dynamically, which can be used to realize more multifunctional dynamic meta‐devices.

Novel digital terahertz device for three-state logic gate and phase coding based on graphene and Schottky barrier junctions

Terahertz technology, III-V group semiconductor devices, and graphene have great potential for broad applications in 6 G wireless communications. A novel digital terahertz device with nickel/GaN and graphene/GaN Schottky barrier junctions was proposed in this study. The patterned metal electrodes of the device, together with the graphene layer, formed a terahertz metasurface. The mechanisms of modulating the fermi level of graphene and the conductivity of the device to manipulate the transmission coefficient and reflected phase of terahertz waves were investigated using numerical calculations. The electrical and optical simulation results theoretically demonstrated that the three-state logic gate operation for the transmission coefficient of terahertz wave at 1.458 THz and the 1-bit reflected phase coding manipulation in 1.51–1.55 THz were realized. In addition, the maximum radar cross section reduction for the reflected wave was approximately 11.14 dB, comparing the designed coding sequences with the metal plate. These functions are mainly implemented by applying an external bias voltage to the device. This study provides a new and feasible strategy for designing digital terahertz manipulation devices.

Time-modulated inerters as building blocks for nonreciprocal mechanical devices

In this work, we discuss the realization of mechanical devices with non-reciprocal attributes enabled by inertia-amplifying, time-modulated mechanisms. Our fundamental building-block features a mass, connected to a fixed ground through a spring and to a moving base through a mechanism-based inerter. Through analytical derivations and numerical simulations, we provide details on the nonlinear dynamics of such system. We demonstrate that providing a time modulation to the inerter’s base produces two additions on the dynamics of the main spring–mass oscillator: (i) an effective time-modulated mass term, and (ii) a time varying force term; both quantities are functions of the modulating frequency. With specific choices of parameters, the modulation-induced force term – that represents one of the main drawbacks in most experimental realizations of purely time-modulated systems – vanishes and we are left with an effective time-varying mass. We then illustrate that this building block can be leveraged to realize non-reciprocal wave manipulation devices, and concentrate on a non-reciprocal beam-like waveguide. The simple design and the clean performance of our system makes it an attractive candidate for the realization of fully mechanical non-reciprocal devices.

A novel ring-shaped acoustic manipulation device using in-plane traveling wave for rotation of sub-millimeter spheres

A novel ring-shaped acoustic manipulation device using in-plane traveling wave for rotation of sub-millimeter spheres

Principles of progressive slow-sound and critical coupling condition in broadband sonic black hole absorber

Recent advances in sonic black hole (SBH) provide new opportunities for controlling sound waves and designing wave manipulation devices. SBH is a device that consists of partitions with gradually decreasing inner radii inserted into an acoustic duct. Several studies have reported that SBH can achieve a broadband sound absorption coefficient close to 1, avoiding the issue of alternating high and low absorption coefficients observed in traditional sound absorbers. However, the fundamental mechanisms and principles behind this behavior are not yet fully understood. This study aims to investigate the detailed sound absorption mechanisms of SBH, including the progressive slow-sound effect and the critical coupling condition that leads to broadband sound absorption. To achieve this goal, an analytical model based on the effective medium approach is developed to investigate the layer-by-layer retardation in sound propagation. The sound absorption coefficient is then determined based on the surface impedance calculation. The effective medium analysis reveals that SBH enables a unique condition to progressively decelerate wave propagation across its layers. As a result, the critical coupling condition becomes more easily established with smoothly increasing SBH partitions and more discretised layers, as elucidated by the complex frequency analysis results. The physical insights gained from this study reveal the distinctive features of SBH compared to classical sound absorbers, paving the way for its engineering applications.

Quasi-Random Multimetallic Nanoparticle Arrays.

This paper describes a nanofabrication procedure that can generate multiscale substrates with quasi-random microregions of nanoparticle arrays having different periodicities and metals. We combine cycles of large-area nanoparticle array fabrication with solvent-assisted wrinkle lithography to mask and etch quasi-random areas of prefabricated nanoparticles to control the fill factors of the arrays. The approach is highly flexible, and parameters, including nanoparticle size and material, array geometry, and fill factor, can be tailored independently. Multimetallic nanoparticle arrays can support surface lattice resonances at fill factors as low as 20% and can function as nanoscale cavities for lasing action with as few as 10% of the nanoparticles in an array. We demonstrated that multimetallic nanoparticle substrates that combine two or three arrays with different periodicities can exhibit lasing responses over visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Our work showcases the robust optical responses of multimetallic and periodic devices for broadband light manipulation.

Special Issue on Bio-MEMS

A Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) is a micro-sized mechatronic device based on semiconductor integrated-circuit manufacturing technology. MEMS technology is inherently a very powerful tool for researchers to manipulate and measure the microscopic biological components of biological tissues since their basic constituent units, cells and intracellular microstructures, are also micron or even submicron in size. MEMS technology applied to medicine and life sciences is called Bio-MEMS. Many Bio-MEMS devices and technologies have been developed in recent years, including microfluidic devices for cell culture, manipulation, and measurement, as well as lab-on-a-chip devices for chemical reactions and analyses on MEMS devices. This special issue consists of 13 papers: 1 review article, 1 letter, and 11 research papers. These papers include studies on mechanical stress on cells using MEMS devices, the control of cell functions through microfabrication techniques, cell measurement and in vivo microenvironment simulation using microfluidic devices, and basic research on wearable devices and self-assembling microstructures using MEMS technologies. The editorial committee members are confident that this special issue will make a significant contribution to the further development of Bio-MEMS. We sincerely appreciate the excellent contributions of the authors and the time and effort of the reviewers. We would also like to thank the editorial board of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics for their support of this special issue.

Subcycle surface electron emission driven by strong-field terahertz waveforms

The advent of intense terahertz (THz) sources opened a new era when the demonstration of the acceleration and manipulation of free electrons by THz pulses became within reach. THz-field-driven electron emission was predicted to be confined to a single burst due to the single-cycle waveform. Here we demonstrate the confinement of single-cycle THz-waveform-driven electron emission to one of the two half cycles from a solid surface emitter. Either the leading or the trailing half cycle was active, controlled by reversing the field polarity. THz-driven single-burst surface electron emission sources, which do not rely on field-enhancement structures, will impact the development of THz-powered electron acceleration and manipulation devices, all-THz compact electron sources, THz waveguides and telecommunication, THz-field-based measurement techniques and solid-state devices.

Arbitrary terahertz chirality construction and flexible manipulation enabled by anisotropic liquid crystal coupled chiral metasurfaces

Chiral metasurfaces integrated with active materials can dynamically control the chirality of electromagnetic waves, making them highly significant in physics, chemistry, and biology. Herein, we theoretically proposed a general and feasible design scheme to develop a chiral metadevice based on a bilayer anisotropic metasurface and a monolayer liquid crystal (LC), which can construct and flexibly manipulate arbitrary terahertz (THz) chirality. When the twist angle between the anisotropic axes of two metasurfaces θ is not 0°, the spatial mirror symmetry of the chiral metadevice is broken, resulting in a strong THz chiral response. In addition, the introduction of anisotropic LCs not only enhances the chiral response of the metadevice but also induces the flipping modulation and frequency tunability of the chirality. More importantly, by optimizing the θ, we can flexibly design the arbitrary chiral response and the operating frequency of chirality, thereby promoting the emergence of various chiral manipulation devices. The experimental results show that the maximum circular dichroism can reach −33 dB at 0.94 THz and flip to 28 dB at 0.69 THz by rotating the LC optical axis from the x to y axis, with the maximum operating frequency tunable range of ∼120 GHz. We expect this design strategy can create new possibilities for the advancement of active THz chiral devices and their applications, including chiral spectroscopy, molecular recognition, biosensing, and fingerprint detection.

Heuristic inverse design of integrated mode converter by directly reshaping silicon waveguide

Compact photonic devices for mode manipulation in silicon waveguide are of importance as fundamental building blocks in on-chip photonic integrated circuits. In this paper, we present a heuristic inverse design scheme based on directly reshaping the silicon waveguide for TE-polarized mode conversions. No additional complicated internal nanoscale structures are introduced to the waveguide. The boundary deformations of the 6 μm-long functional region are described by Bernstein polynomials and the optimal design is searched and determined by the gradient-based method of moving asymptotes. The TE0-to-TE1 (TE1-to-TE2) mode converter can be efficiently obtained after 19 (52) iterations from a straight waveguide. Quasi-3D simulations show the high mode purity (>0.99) at center wavelength of 1550 nm, while the lowest mode purity keeps higher than 0.97 within the operational bandwidth of 60 nm for all designs. Relatively high transmission efficiency is maintained as well. 3D simulations with SOI configuration validate the functionality and the satisfactory performances. For both 340 nm and 220 nm waveguide thicknesses, the conversion efficiencies respectively keep higher than 0.98 and 0.90 for TE0-to-TE1 and TE1-to-TE2 mode converters at center wavelength. By simply cascading the two proposed mode converters, reciprocal TE0-to-TE2 mode conversion can be achieved. Moreover, we demonstrate the robustness of proposed designs by adding ±10 nm geometric deviations.

The wave equation as a differentiable-programmable computer for the design of acoustic metamaterials

Designing new metamaterials enables fine-grain control of wave dynamics. Applications of these materials range from wave steering devices for seismic wave manipulation, to “super-focusing” devices for high-resolution ultrasound imaging and surgery. Control of systems governed by partial differential equations is an inherently hard problem. Specifically, control of wave dynamics is a challenging problem, because of the additional physical constraints and intrinsic properties of wave phenomena such as attenuation, reflection, and scattering. In this work, we propose a novel method for transient control of wave equations with Model Predictive Control. The proposed model incorporates the essential physical properties observed in the original dynamics directly into its lower dimensional latent space. We show that our model is capable of using its latent dynamics to predict scalar integral quantities over a variable length timespan. Moreover, it is fully interpretable by the corresponding physical quantities, which allows it to guarantee solution properties. We demonstrate this method by solving important cases of wave equation, which have not been solved before, such as control of transient waves. We make our code publicly available.

Mechanism of slow-wave generation and tuning in a perforation-modulated sonic black hole structure

A sonic black hole (SBH) in a retarding duct can be used to manipulate sound waves and achieve sound absorption. The SBH incorporates two indispensable physical processes: wave speed reduction and energy dissipation. In this study, a perforation-modulated SBH (PMSBH) retarding structure is proposed, in which the two physical phenomena can be balanced to enhance the black hole effects by modulating the perforation parameters. To fully investigate the mechanism of slow-wave generation and the effect of perforation parameters, an analytic model is established based on the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) solutions to the linear acoustic wave equation. By examining the analytical solutions and comparing them with the numerical results obtained from transient finite element simulations, the effect of several important parameters on reducing the sound speed and enhancing sound absorption performance is revealed, offering a set of criteria and physical insights for modulating the parameters to design an optimal slow-sound absorber. Finally, an experiment is conducted to confirm the theoretical studies and demonstrate the performance of PMSBH. This study brings forward the concept of tunable design to improve the performance of SBH structures, which can benefit the design of sound wave manipulation and noise control devices.

Design of Automatic Loading and Unloading Manipulator for CNC Gear Milling Machine

Background: At present, due to the widespread use of robotic arms for the automatic loading and unloading of CNC gear milling machines, there has been an increase in patents related to robotic arms. However, these robotic arms have issues of low efficiency and large space occupation. To solve these problems, a CNC gear milling machine with an automatic loading and unloading manipulator device needs to be designed. Methods: This paper first designs the overall scheme of the automatic loading and unloading manipulator, and then uses Solidworks to establish a three-dimensional model. Finite element analysis software is used to analyze and simulate the deformation, stress distribution, and service life of the key components in the overall device. Finally, a prototype of the robotic arm is created based on the simulation optimization results. Results: This paper designs a new type of automatic loading and unloading manipulator device for CNC gear milling machines, which is different from existing patents in that all its components are installed inside the machine tool protective cover. In production experiments, the operation was found to be stable and reliable, and the loading and unloading process was completed at a speed of 11s/time, consistently exceeding the manual maximum speed of 19s/time. The results indicate that the proposed clamp storage system and core rod perforation feeding method are effective. Conclusion: The new design solves the problems of low efficiency and large space occupation in existing robotic arm patents.

Fully Integrated Microfluidic Device for Magnetic Bead Manipulation to Assist Rapid Reaction and Cleaning.

Methods to manipulate magnetic beads are essential factors to determine the efficiency and dimension of an in vitro diagnostic system. Currently, using movable permanent magnets and planar electromagnets is still the major approach to achieve magnetic bead control, causing significant constraint in the miniaturization of in vitro diagnostic systems. Here, we propose techniques to construct a fully integrated microfluidic device that can conduct automatic magnetic bead manipulation as well as rapid chemical reaction and cleaning in a minimized dimension similar to a USB disk. The device combines the precision control of multiple electromagnetic coils with the compactness of microfluidic channels, leading to one of the smallest automatic magnetic bead manipulation systems that can complete several major magnetic bead-based operation steps such as sample injection, reaction, cleaning, and collection. The influencing factors such as coil driving parameters, surface treatment of the microchannels, and properties of magnetic particles have also been investigated to optimize the device performance. The device can drive mixtures of Fe3O4 microparticles and polymer magnetic beads (PMBs) with a weight ratio of 1:1 at a maximum speed of 0.5 cm·s-1 and reduce the time for DNA binding and dissociation reactions from 20 min to only 48 s. This device has significantly advanced the conventional manipulation methods of magnetic beads and has demonstrated the possibility to construct an automatic and ultraminiaturized in vitro diagnostic system that may facilitate portable or even wearable chemical analysis.

Surface Roughness Analysis of Microchannels Featuring Microfluidic Devices Fabricated by Three Different Materials and Methods

In recent years, the utilization of microfluidic devices for precise manipulation of small flows has significantly increased. The effective management of microfluidics is closely associated with microchannel fabrication. The fabrication method employed for microfluidic devices directly impacts the roughness of the microchannels, consequently influencing the flows within them. In this study, the surface roughness of microchannels was investigated through three different fabrication processes: PDMS lithography, PLA printing, and UV resin printing. This research compared and analyzed the surface roughness of the microchannels fabricated using these methods. Furthermore, supported by a dynamic fluid simulator, the impact of surface roughness on flow behavior was shown. Results reveal varying degrees of roughness prominence in curved regions. Comparing microfluidic device fabrication techniques is crucial to optimize the process, control roughness, analyze flow rates, and select a proper material to be used in the development of microfluidic devices.

The structural design and simulation of the tubing handling manipulator

The size of the oil pipes in the factory is relatively large, making them inconvenient to handle. There are few existing oil pipe handling devices, and a 2P2R four degree of freedom manipulator device has been innovatively designed to complete the oil pipe handling work. First, the three-dimensional model of the manipulator was established using SolidWorks software, and then the improved D-H method was used to carry out the kinematics modeling of the manipulator system, and the forward and Inverse kinematics equations were derived. Then, the MATLAB software was used to carry out the kinematics analysis of the manipulator, and the manipulator workspace was calculated. The movement trajectory, as well as the displacement, speed, and acceleration curves under the trajectory were obtained using the fifth order Polynomial interpolation method, Finally, the 3D model was imported into Adams software, and an Adams virtual prototype was established for dynamic analysis. The force and torque curves of each joint were obtained, laying the foundation for further design and research in the future.

Broadband all-metal reflective-mode geometric metasurfaces for visible multi‐functional wavefront manipulation

Visible light manipulation has become a well-explored subject over recent years owing to its fascinating prospect in the optical communication field. Nevertheless, the limitations imposed by materials inherent in natural hamper the progress of the optical devices. Here, a broadband reflective-mode all-metal geometric metasurface (GMS) capable of high-efficient circular polarization (CP) conversion and applicable for multi-functional wavefront manipulation was proposed and investigated numerically in visible region. The proposed all-metal GMS is comprised of the periodically arranged gold dumbbell-shaped (DBS) nanostructure with symmetrical square notch adhered on the gold substrate. Simulation results demonstrate that the cross-polarized reflection amplitude of the all-metal GMS for normal incident CP light is practically higher than 85% from 310 THz to 500 THz, and the full 2π phase shift in this frequency range can be acquired by varying oriented angle of the DBS nanostructure. As proofs of multi-functional wavefront manipulation devices, beam deflectors, reflective planar focusing metalens and vortex beam generators were constructed and demonstrated numerically with the all-metal DBS nanostructure based on geometric phase principle. Overall, the proposed GMS carries with it considerable advantages of compaction and high efficiency, thus possessing infinite potential in optical devices.

Deep Bottom-up Proteomics Enabled by the Integration of Liquid-Phase Ion Trap.

In bottom-up proteomics, the complexity of the proteome requires advanced peptide separation and/or fractionation methods to acquire an in-depth understanding of protein profiles. Proposed earlier as a solution-phase ion manipulation device, liquid phase ion traps (LPITs) were used in front of mass spectrometers to accumulate target ions for improved detection sensitivity. In this work, an LPIT-reversed phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LPIT-RPLC-MS/MS) platform was established for deep bottom-up proteomics. LPIT was used here as a robust and effective method for peptide fractionation, which also shows good reproducibility and sensitivity on both qualitative and quantitative levels. LPIT separates peptides based on their effective charges and hydrodynamic radii, which is orthogonal to that of RPLC. With excellent orthogonality, the integration of LPIT with RPLC-MS/MS could effectively increase the number of peptides and proteins being detected. When HeLa cells were analyzed, peptide and protein coverages were increased by ∼89.2% and 50.3%, respectively. With high efficiency and low cost, this LPIT-based peptide fraction method could potentially be used in routine deep bottom-up proteomics.