Repeatability and reproducibility analysis of a multistable module devoted to digital microrobotics

The digital microrobot, called DiMiBot, opened a new paradigm in the design of microrobots by using mechanical stability instead of complex control strategies. Current DiMiBot robots are based on the use of bistable modules to reach discrete stable positions. However, the number of stable positions depends on the number of bistable modules. As a consequence, the mechanism size increases rapidly and its miniaturization becomes complex and non-intuitive. To tackle this issue, a new multistable module has been developed to reach several stable positions within a miniaturized structure. In this paper, we focus on the reapitability and the reproducibility analysis of the developed multistable module in terms of displacement. This study is mandatory to demonstrate the effectiveness of the module as it is expected to be an elementary component of the next generation of DiMiBot. To this end, a series of experimental measurements are conducted on individual and multiple modules. The results analysis show a good agreement between the theoretical and the experimental displacements. In other words, the multistable prototype is able to reach 13 stable positions linearly in one dimensional direction with a step of about 10 mu m. These capabilities open a promising perspectives and applications of this module to achieve microrobotics tasks. For example, it can be integrated in complex systems devoted to advanced tasks or accurate positioning in MEMS devices.