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Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations LB 2/24

New Scale to Develop Hexapod Under SBIR Grant

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New Scale Technologies Inc. is developing the world’s smallest commercial hexapod under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant.

Awarded by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the grant funds development of a clinically compatible, six-degree-of-freedom, handheld micromanipulator for hand tremor cancellation in microsurgical systems.

New Scale Technologies has been awarded an SBIR grant from NIH to develop a miniature commercial hexapod, a tiny six-degree-of-freedom micromanipulator.


New Scale Technologies has been awarded an SBIR grant from NIH to develop a miniature commercial hexapod, a tiny six-degree-of-freedom micromanipulator. Courtesy of New Scale.

A prototype micromanipulator was developed the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University with New Scale contributions. At less than 25 mm in diameter, it was the first hexapod or Gough-Stewart platform small enough for use in a handheld instrument. New Scale is using the grant to develop an improved system with the same small size of the prototype, but preparing for a clinically compatible product ready for commercialization.

The hexapod system includes six piezoelectric SQUIGGLE micromotors, miniature bearing assemblies, motor mounts, flexures, spring preloads and miniature drive electronics. Specific aims include improved dynamic performance, higher precision and integration of a microcontroller with local feedback and motion control. Applications include microsurgery, use as a robotic end-effector for testing and manufacture of MEMS and photonics accessories, and positioning and alignment of collimated fibers or assemblies.

New Scale Technologies develops and manufactures small, precise, closed-loop positioning solutions.

The video below shows an animation of the hexapod motion.


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Published: April 2016
Glossary
positioning
Positioning generally refers to the determination or identification of the location or placement of an object, person, or entity in a specific space or relative to a reference point. The term is used in various contexts, and the methods for positioning can vary depending on the application. Key aspects of positioning include: Spatial coordinates: Positioning often involves expressing the location of an object in terms of spatial coordinates. These coordinates may include dimensions such as...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
BusinessNew ScaleSBIRHexapodpositioningSensors & DetectorscommercializationroboticsResearch & TechnologyeducationCarnegie MellonSquigglephotonicsMEMSlight speed

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