On design technique of micro-devices using functional continuum

In this paper, a new method to produce the functional continuum for the micro-devices is proposed. The method is a topological optimization technique based on the function of a continuum and is composed of three steps. First, an initial mechanism model, which conforms to the given function, is determined using the Evolutionary L System (ELS). The ELS is a technique to obtain the optimum plate-thickness distributions of material using L System with genetic algorithms. The obtained mechanism model is changed to a framed structure as rahmen model in the second step. The cross-section and length of members in the framed structure are optimized to maintain the original design requirement. In the final step, the framed structure is changed to the functional continuum using some well-known shape optimization techniques. This method is applied to the problem of functional continuum, which is to produce the micro-gripper of two fingers for the use in the medical fields. The micro-gripper is cut with YAG laser and the performance by the piezoelectric actuator is confirmed experimentally. From the results, it is obvious that the proposed method is very useful to produce the functional continuum.