Projects

@article{J22a,

title = {Simultaneous tip force and displacement sensing for AFM cantilevers with on-chip actuation: Design and characterization for off-resonance tapping mode},

author = {N. F. S. de Bem and M. G. Ruppert and A. J. Fleming and Y. K. Yong},

url = {https://www.precisionmechatronicslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/J22a.pdf},

doi = {10.1016/j.sna.2022.113496},

issn = {0924-4247},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-03-08},

urldate = {2022-03-08},

journal = {Sensors and Actuators A: Physical},

volume = {338},

pages = {113496},

abstract = {The use of integrated on-chip actuation simplifies the identification of a cantilever resonance, can improve imaging speed, and enables the use of smaller cantilevers, which is required for low-force imaging at high speed. This article describes a cantilever with on-chip actuation and novel dual-sensing capabilities for AFM. The dual-sensing configuration allows for tip displacement and tip force to be measured simultaneously. A mathematical model is developed and validated with finite element analysis. A physical prototype is presented, and its calibration and validation are presented. The cantilever is optimized for use in off-resonance tapping modes. Experimental results demonstrate an agreement between the on-chip sensors and external force and displacement measurements.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ruppert2022,

title = {Experimental Analysis of Tip Vibrations at Higher Eigenmodes of QPlus Sensors for Atomic Force Microscopy},

author = {M. G. Ruppert and D. Martin-Jimenez and Y. K. Yong and A. Ihle and A. Schirmeisen and A. J. Fleming and D. Ebeling},

url = {https://www.precisionmechatronicslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/J22c.pdf},

doi = {10.1088/1361-6528/ac4759},

issn = {1361-6528},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-10},

urldate = {2022-02-10},

journal = {Nanotechnology},

volume = {33},

issue = {18},

pages = {185503},

abstract = {QPlus sensors are non-contact atomic force microscope probes constructed from a quartz tuning fork and a tungsten wire with an electrochemically etched tip. These probes are self-sensing and offer an atomic-scale spatial resolution. Therefore, qPlus sensors are routinely used to visualize the chemical structure of adsorbed organic molecules via the so-called bond imaging technique. This is achieved by functionalizing the AFM tip with a single CO molecule and exciting the sensor at the first vertical cantilever resonance mode. Recent work using higher-order resonance modes has also resolved the chemical structure of single organic molecules. However, in these experiments, the image contrast can differ significantly from the conventional bond imaging contrast, which was suspected to be caused by unknown vibrations of the tip. This work investigates the source of these artefacts by using a combination of mechanical simulation and laser vibrometry to characterize a range of sensors with different tip wire geometries. The results show that increased tip mass and length cause increased torsional rotation of the tuning fork beam due to the off-center mounting of the tip wire, and increased flexural vibration of the tip. These undesirable motions cause lateral deflection of the probe tip as it approaches the sample, which is rationalized to be the cause of the different image contrast. The results also provide a guide for future probe development to reduce these issues.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Fleming2022,

title = {Piezoelectric Benders with Strain Sensing Electrodes: Sensor Design for Position Control and Force Estimation},

author = {R. Seethaler and S. Z. Mansour and M. G. Ruppert and A. J. Fleming},

url = {https://www.precisionmechatronicslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/J22b.pdf},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2022.113384},

issn = {0924-4247},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-22},

urldate = {2022-01-22},

journal = {Sensors and Actuators A: Physical},

volume = {335},

pages = {113384},

abstract = {Piezoelectric benders are widely used in industrial applications due to their low-cost and compact size. However, due to the large relative size and cost of displacement sensors, bender actuators are often operated in open-loop or with feed-forward control, which can limit positioning accuracy to 20% of full-scale. To improve the positioning accuracy of piezoelectric benders, this article proposes integrating resistive strain gauges into the electrode surface by chemical etching or laser ablation. These strain sensors are then used to measure and control the tip displacement. The proposed sensors are shown to suffer from significant cross-coupling between the actuator voltage and measured signal; however, this can be mitigated by judicious choice of the sensor location and actuator driving scheme. In addition to position sensing, a method is also presented for simultaneous estimation of the contact force between the actuator tip and load. The proposed methods are validated experimentally by controlling the tip position of a piezoelectric bender while simultaneously estimating the force applied to a reference load cell.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Xavier2021,

title = {3D-printed omnidirectional soft pneumatic actuators: Design, modeling and characterization},

author = {M. S. Xavier and C. D. Tawk and Y. K. Yong and A. J. Fleming},

url = {https://www.precisionmechatronicslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/J21f.pdf},

doi = {10.1016/j.sna.2021.113199},

issn = {0924-4247},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-12-25},

urldate = {2021-12-25},

journal = {Sensors and Actuators: A. Physical },

volume = {332},

issue = {2},

pages = {113199},

abstract = {Soft pneumatic actuators are usually fabricated using molding and casting techniques with silicone rubbers, which requires intensive manual labor and limits repeatability and design flexibility for complex geometries. This article presents the design and direct 3D-printing of novel omnidirectional soft pneumatic actuators using stereolithography (SLA) with an elastic resin and fused deposition modeling (FDM) with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The actuator is modeled and optimized for bending performance using the finite element method along with a hyperelastic material model that is based on experimental uniaxial tensile data. The designs inspired by fast pneumatic network actuators (PneuNets) allow for multimodal actuation including bending, extension and contraction motions under positive, negative or differential pressures. The predicted results from the finite element method are compared with the experimental results for a range of actuation configurations. These novel omnidirectional actuators have significant potential in applications such as pipe inspection and biomedical devices.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}