Hitachi, Ltd.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology Ministry of International

Hitachi-Science Systems, Ltd.

Tamio Tanikawa

Hidemi Koike

Shigeto Isakozawa

Tatsuo Arai

Motohide Ukiana

Kazuhiro Fujii

Kazuhiro Morita

Provision of a 3-DOF micro manipulator easy to operate and capable of executing accurate positioning, wherein the link mechanisms of the micro manipulator whose main operation is parallel 3-DOF operation are implemented by cutting, folding, and moding a sheet of metal plate. Base and end effector are connected by three link mechanisms. The three link mechanisms are manufactured by cutting and folding a flexible plate material, and are equipped with plate-like arm portions each having a spread in the axially peripheral direction of the end effector, with hinge portions that are formed longitudinally across each arm portion in order to function as revolving joints R, and with a hinge portion also formed at the middle position of the arm portion in order to function as revolving joints R. Also, a parallelogrammatic link is formed between one longitudinal end of the arm portion and the middle portion thereof in order to function as a prismatic joint pair P.

Micro manipulator

A micromanipulator comprises an upper parallel linkage connecting a base member and an opposed middle plate by links, a lower parallel linkage connecting the middle plate and an opposed base plate by links, a first finger attached to the base member of the upper parallel linkage, a second finger attached to the middle plate and is arranged opposite the first finger, drive controllers provided on the links for effecting relative motions of the fingers and for positioning the fingers.

Micromanipulator

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Tamio Tanikawa