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This paper utilizes embedded systems to control an intelligent robot implemented with seven sensor networks. The work was carried out in two phases. The first step developed scanning circuits to feedback the sensor signals to the process systems. The second step installed seven motors and a voice circuit on the robot to respond to the sensor signals. From the results, the proposed embedded system was deemed effective.

This paper presents fabrication and characterization of a pressure-sensitive polymeric composite on a flexible readout circuit as an artificial skin. Porous nylon was used as the matrix, which provided skin-like mechanical properties. Inside the matrix, polypyrrole was electrochemically deposited and acted as conductive dopant. The fabrication was detailed. The conductivity of the fabricated composite increased when a compressive load was applied. The electro-mechanical characteristics of the composite were measured.

A flexible temperature sensor array and a scanning system are developed in this paper. A 16×16 temperature sensor array in a 25×20 mm2 area is fabricated on a flexible copper-PI substrate using MEMS fabrication technology. Platinum is employed as the temperature sensing material, which is often so called the resistance temperature detector (RTD). Copper patterns on both sides of the flexible substrate serve as the row and column interconnects for scanning circuitry. In each element of the temperature sensor array, the resistance of platinum, which is patterned by lift-off process, can be measured by the scanning system.

This paper develops a new separated mini-environment to provide a constant temperature chamber for the placement of Micro/Nano-metrology instrument. In this paper, the rule of temperature change with time under natural convection and coercive convection is presented. The measurement and control system is composed of TEC, programmable power source and precise temperature measurement system. The mathematic model of the constant temperature chamber is identified making use of system identification theory and system identification toolkit of MATLAB. The temperature stability is improved by applying auto-adaptive PID method. Experiments show that the temperature fluctuation of a single-point is less than 0.02°C and the whole field is within 0.05°C. The goal of high-precision temperature control is achieved.

An innovative high precision optical focus probe has been developed to measure the grating pitches. This probe uses characteristics of FES (focus error signal) of the modified DVD pickup head. Experimental tests showed the linear range of FES of this probe to the gratings was 5μm, the resolution was less than 1nm, the time stability was 5nm in 10 minutes, and positioning repeatability was better than 12nm. This system was applied to measure the grating pitch of 1200 lines per 1mm. The quality of the grating was assessed by the average of sampled pitches and its standard deviation. The inspected results can be an index to improve the process control of the grating fabrication.

The primary purpose of this research is to adopt a commercially available DVD pickup head and modify it to become a high-speed scanning nano-measurement probe. With the principle of astigmatism the probe can execute the autofocusing motion by an imbedded voice coil motor (VCM) following the height change of the tested object in the vertical Z-direction. Given high precision triangular current signal with appropriate frequency to the input ports of tracking, the same VCM can be moved along the lateral X-direction for profile scanning. Firstly this paper presents the structure of DVD pickup head, the theory of autofocusing and auto scanning, and the developed controller. Then experimental setups and accuracy calibration will be introduced. In order to achieve a bi-directional precision measurement in autofocusing and scanning, this study has developed a hysteresis error compensation scheme by a DSP-32 integrated system. In association with a high precision linear stage in Y-direction, this high precision micro/nano optical probe can measure the 3D profile of the miniature object successfully at fast speed.

The development of a three-dimensional surface profilometer using digital fringe projection technology and phase-shifting principle is presented. Accurate and high-speed three-dimensional profile measurement plays a key role in determining the success of process automation and productivity. By integrating a digital micromirror device (DMD) with the developed system, exclusive advantages in projecting flexible and accurate structured-light patterns onto the object surface to be measured can be obtained. Furthermore, the developed system consists of a specially designed micro-projecting optical unit for generating flexibly optimal structured-light to accommodate requirements in terms of measurement range and resolution. Its wide angle image detection design also improves measurement resolution for detecting deformed fringe patterns. This resolves the problem in capturing effective deformed fringe patterns for phase shifting, especially when a coaxial optical layout of a stereomicroscope is employed. Experimental results verified that the maximum error was within a reasonable range of the measured depth. The developed system and the method can provide a useful and effective tool for 3D full field surface measurement ranging from µm up to cm scale.