Flexible Automation for Micro and Meso-scale Manipulation Tasks with
Applications to Manufacturing and Biotechnolog

David Cappelleri
Ph.D. Candidate
Advisor: Professor Vijay Kumar
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
University of Pennsylvania

Abstract
This talk will present the design and implementation of a flexible automation system developed for  micro and meso-scale manipulation tasks in the manufacturing and biotechnology industries.  I will begin with an overview and introduction of the state-of-the-art in micro and meso-scale manipulation and precision robotic systems.  Then I will discuss my work on the development of a robotic system for use in micro and meso-scale manipulation and assembly and show experimental results for the canonical peg-in-the-hole problem at the meso-scale. The next part of the talk will focus on tools and automation for biotechnology.  Single cell manipulation and characterization studies will be presented as well as the design of a MEMS, compliant mechanism, computer vision based force sensor to sense forces at the micro-Newton level.  I will also talk about work on automating the process of phototransfection on neuron and fibroblast cells along with quantifying morphological changes in the cells before and after the process.