A Bioinspired Dual‐Finger Micro Manipulator with Rubbing and Gripping Operations

Abstract In response to the growing demand for micromanipulation in ultra‐precision fields, this work presents a novel 2‐degree ‐ of‐freedom (DOF) dual‐finger micro manipulator with large strokes and high resolution, inspired by the gripping and rubbing motions of human dual‐finger. Interestingly, only a single bending piezoelectric actuator (BPEA) is used to drive the 2‐DOF motion of the dual‐finger manipulator, and a bolt‐spring mechanism is incorporated to provide an adjustable gripping range with enhanced adaptability. Besides, structural optimization and simulations are conducted, and the performance is tested with a manufactured manipulator prototype. The micro manipulator achieves a gripping stroke of 216.8 µm with a displacement resolution of 66.3 nm, and a rubbing stroke of 552.6 µm with a resolution of 119.5 nm. It can rotate a 250 µm optical fiber by over 180°. The gripping range spans from 0 to 2108.4 µm. The proposed micro manipulator offers 2‐DOF output with large strokes and nanometer‐level resolution, showing great potential for advanced micromanipulation.