Toward fluidic microrobots using electrowetting

Abstract

This paper describes the performance of a fluidic microrobot using Electrowetting on Dielectric (EWOD). A system to control the fluidic microrobot was designed, constructed and deployed in the NIST Mobile Microrobotics Challenge at ICRA 2011. The microrobots (0.1 M KCl and 550 μm diameter) demonstrated the ability to perform controlled maneuvers in 2-D while transporting hydrophilic objects. The EWOD system is composed of a DIP-mounted die produced via standard microfabrication techniques and containing the control electrodes / competition arena, and a transparent ITO cover slip for grounding. Key advantages of this platform include a scalable design for batch EWOD system fabrication, potential simultaneous control of multiple microrobots, and an easily portable, compact system design.