A MEMS array for pneumatic conveyor and its control based on distributed system

In this paper, a pneumatic conveyor and its control mode are proposed for tiny object manipulation. The conveyor consists of a 2D array of 560 air-nozzle actuators realized by the silicon MEMS technology. A distributed control method, based on local air-flow force application, has been developed and successfully validated. Experimental and characterization results are finally presented and analyzed.