HYDROMEL’s objective is to develop tomorrow’s high precision flexible and cost-effective manufacturing process for complex micro- and nano-products.
Hydromel is developing a technology platform for Hybrid assembly; combination of positional assembly by robotics - where objects are mechanically manipulated and positioned one by one - and self-assembly (autonomous organisation of components into patterns or structures without human intervention) - where objects arrange themselves into ordered structures by physical or chemical interactions and will show in selected demonstrators the innovation, benefit and industrial relevance of the technologies.
Robotics R&D goals
Robot based handling
Provide prototypes and study feasibility of robot-based handling
- Integrate micro & nano-handling multi-DoF robotics systems
- Develop and test sensor based devices (2D/3D/6D-vision based handling, force control based handling)
- Provide software framework prototype for integration
Self-assembly goals
Self assembly methods
Provide prototypes and study feasibility of self-assembly
- Proof of concept of chemical and mechanical surface treatment to support self-alignment
- Proof of concept of switchable surfaces
- Hierarchical self-assembly
- Provide methodology for characterisation of SA-forces
Hierachical assembly goals
Hybrid assembly methods
Carry out integration of SA-assisted robotics and vice versa
- SA in conventional robotics
- Develop potential of functionalized grippers
- Enable SA-assisted feeding
- Robotics in self in the SA-domain
- Fast placement of particles to attractors
- Error correction of self-assembled objects