Abstract
Inspired by lobsters' sniffing behavior, a bimorph actuator is proposed for particle manipulation. The engineering implementation of this lobster-tiny-hair-like capturing device is achieved by surface micromachining. This device actuates electrostatically and drives the micro-objects via disturbing the fluid field and manipulates the Reynolds number of the surrounding fluid to achieve the function of micro-object manipulation. Numerical simulations are carried out to obtain the design criteria. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and functionality of our lobster-sniffing inspired actuator via the micro-object manipulation in liquid environment. © 2005 IEEE.