Pocketdelta robot

Picture of the PocketDelta robot

The PocketDelta robot is a micro robot based on a parallel structure called “Delta robot”. It has been designed to perform micro-assembly tasks where high-speed and high-precision are needed in a reduced working space. The robot's size is 120×120×200 mm for a workspace of 30×30×30 mm.

Design

Prerequisites to high-speed and high-precision are a light, but stiff mechanical structure. Thus stiff and lightweight materials build up the moving part of the robot, whereas the heavy motors are attached to the supporting frame. The motors are attached directly to the robot arm (direct drive), eliminating backlash, friction and elasticity.

A high-level of integration reduces the size of the whole system. The mechanics, motion drives, control electronics and computing are all integrated into one compact unit. This innovative configuration simplifies its use and increases the flexibility of the robot.

The controller is based on PC architecture with interface boards for communication with the robot hardware. The realtime software enables the generation of trajectories in the Cartesian space using a direct and inverse kinematics model of the robot.

The robot integrates a web server which enables an easy communication through an Ethernet network using HTTP, TCP or UDP protocol.

History

• 2004: The first prototype is developed at the microRobotics Lab of the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Biel (CH) as a part of a new project on "Microfactory"'s topic launched by the CSEM SA (CH) in collaboration with the EPFL (CH)
• 2005: CSEM SA develops a new version of the robot and introduces it as the "world’s smallest Delta robot"
• 01.03.2007: CSEM's «Smallest Format Factory» and PocketDelta robot win the Swiss Technology Award and are nominated for the Hermes Award
• 01.10.2007: CPAutomation SA achieve the development of the PocketDelta robot and found asyril sa, a spin-off company which commercialize the robot.

Applications

Typical application's domains for the PocketDelta robot are the following:

• Watch industry
• System in package (SIP)
• Assembly of micro-medical devices
• MEMS and MOEMS
• Surface mount technology
• Biochips

External links

Companies and universities

• asyril SA (CH)
• CPAutomation SA (CH)
• CSEM SA (CH)
• Bern University of Applied Sciences (CH)
• EPFL (CH)

Videos

• PocketDelta robots integrated in a "Microfactory"
• PocketDelta robot playing at "Solitaire game"

Publications and articles

• http://mechse.uiuc.edu/portals/courses/ME598/dk/IWMF2006/data/PDF/P3-5.pdf
• http://www.ch-innovation.ch/smartobjectDatei/ACF166B.pdf