Micro-gripper device using shape memory alloy and optical fiber

Micro-gripper driven by photo-induced heating of shape memory alloy and optical fiber

This technology is a micro-gripper mechanism that connects an optical fiber to a gripper made of shape memory alloy, driving and deforming the gripper through Joule heating generated by light transmitted from a light source.

Conventional micro-grippers suffer from complex driving structures that make manufacturing difficult, as well as structural inconveniences requiring separate power supplies and high power consumption.

This technology proposes a structure that can be operated without separate electrical wiring by delivering heating energy to the gripper via light irradiation through an optical fiber. By using a Nitinol shape memory alloy gripper processed with a focused ion beam and a photocurable polymer adhesive, both miniaturization and precision manipulation are achieved. It offers a wireless-driven gripper for ultra-precision tasks such as semiconductor processing, bio-sample manipulation, and micro-assembly, opening new possibilities for micro-scale automation.

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Key Features:

• A gripper unit made of shape memory alloy that can grasp minute objects by deforming under light energy
• An energy supply unit that converts light transmitted through an optical fiber into Joule heat to supply energy to the gripper unit
• An optical fiber formed in a tubular shape with an internal passage for light transmission
• An adhesive unit provided between the optical fiber and the gripper unit to bond the gripper to the optical fiber

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the nanoscale 3D printing system.