Web sites
Article Type: Web sites From: Assembly Automation, Volume 33, Issue 2
Vibrant Research LLC
Vibrant Research is a new company located in Massachusetts, USA, that commercializes groundbreaking manufacturing technologies for portable devices. Utilizing an innovative, origami-inspired manufacturing process as applied to a flapping wing mesoscale robot called Mobee, the fabrication size, weight, and costs of complex, miniature devices are greatly reduced.
Vibrant’s clear and concise web site begins with a demonstration video on the homepage. The rest of the site is divided into pages on news, resources, and multimedia. The resources tab links to impressive media coverage of Founder and CTO, Dr Pratheev Sreetharan. Also under resources are links to white papers. The multimedia link has image examples of PC-MEMS components, machines, and designs;and a video that describes the Mobee and the PC-MEMS process.
FemtoTools
FemtoTools is a Swiss high-tech company that makes ultra high-precision instruments for mechanical testing and robotic handling in the micro- and nano-domains.
FemtoTools’ comprehensive web site contains detailed information on its products, applications, and technology. the products link features its six products and services: Stand-Alone Sensing & Assembly Systems, Modular Sensing & Assembly Systems, OEM System Components, Sensing & Assembly Tools, Controller, and Software.
Selected applications of Femtool’s products include micromechanical testing, In-Liquid micromechanical testing, Microassembly & Handling,Applications inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and other applications. The Technology tab presents an overview and data on: the working principle of the FT-S Microforce Sensing Probes, the working principle of the FT-G Microgrippers, and the working principle of the Manipulation Unit.
The company page includes news, events, a video, and awards.
Micro- and Nano-robotics
The Micro- and Nano-robotics Group of the School of Electronic Engineering at Aalto University carries out research that is highly interdisciplinary, merging micro- and nano-physics, self-assembly, robotics and automation.
The Group’s interesting portal highlights its active projects which consist of self-assembly and hybrid microassembly and their applications in electronics and optoelectronics manufacturing, in situ nanorobotic testing inside environmental scanning electronic microscope (ESEM), novel mobile microrobots,micromechatronic instruments for in vivo applications, and automation of micro- and nanorobotic systems.
There is also an area called research results and publications which delineate results under the topics of microhandling and microassembly, and micromechatronics and mobile microrobots.
Additionally, the site links to past projects which focused on research in cell manipulation, microassembly, inspection of microparts, microforces,microfluidics, paper fiber handling, in vivo diagnostics and nanomanipulation.
A gallery hosts images and videos.
Birck Nanotechnology Center
At the Birck Nanotechnology Center (BNC) at Purdue University, cutting edge research accelerates the progress in nanoscale instrumentation.
The BNC’s state-of-the-art portal covers an extensive amount information on their vast facilities, which houses nearly 300 staff members and caters to a wide range of capabilities including nanofabrication, nanophotonics, theory and computation, and materials growth and deposition.
There are also pages on the BNC’s multidisciplinary team, educational opportunities, entrepreneurship, and careers in nanotechnology.
Current events, a full event calendar and list, along with news, are displayed on the homepage.
Department Automatic Micro-Mechatronic Systems
The Automatic Micro-Mechanic Systems Department (AS2M), one of many research portals available from the homepage of Femto-ST, conducts research in four teams: medical micro-robotics, micro-control systems, prognostics and health management (PHM), and perception strategies and characterization of micro- and nano-scales.
In addition to the four team areas, the webpages, translated by Google from French to English, also provide information on two platforms developed by the department, as well as research projects, which are organized by geographical projects (international, national, regional).
Pages on the history of the department, news, and a video are also featured.
