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Thermocapillary manipulation (Inactive)

Description: This project explores the use of laser-induced thermocapillary flows for the manipulation and directed assembly of microscopic particles at the air-water interface. By locally heating the surface with focused laser beam controllable fluid flows emerge, enabling non-contact transport of floating objects. The research investigates both single- and multi-particle manipulation, including the coordinated actuation of multiple laser spots to achieve parallel control. In addition to manipulation strategies, the project also focuses on characterizing and understanding the generated flow fields to better exploit their dynamics for precise control and assembly.

Thermocapillary manipulation image

Publications

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Solving the non-linear motion in a micromanipulation system powered by thermocapillary flows." IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 8.8 (2023). doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2023.3288378.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Olivier Stephan, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Pose control of millimeter-scale objects in a laser-powered thermocapillary manipulation platform." IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 29.1 (2023). doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2023.3274371.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Ronald Terrazas Mallea, Benoit Scheid, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Effect of insoluble surfactants on a thermocapillary flow." Physics of Fluids 33.7 (2021). doi.org/10.1063/5.0055373.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "A microrobotic platform actuated by thermocapillary flows for manipulation at the air-water interface." Science Robotics 6.52 (2021). doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.abd3557.

Presentations

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Laser-induced thermocapillary manipulation at the air-water interface." International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales, Toronto, Canada (2022) - Presentation.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Light-induced thermocapillary manipulation." International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technology, Besançon, France (2021) - Presentation.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Laser-induced thermocapillary micro-manipulation at the water surface." Journée thématique Ondes, Fluides et Interfaces, Lille, France (2021) - Presentation.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. "Laser-induced thermocapillary micro-manipulation at the water surface." LOMA-Bordeaux: Trappistes II, Online (2021) - Presentation.

  • Franco N Piñan Basualdo, Aude Bolopion, Michaël Gauthier, Pierre Lambert. Workshop on capillary micromanipulation (WMC 2021), Online (2021) - Organization.

Mentorships

  • Gianluca Carbone. Master thesis: "Geometry optimization for thermocapillary micromanipulation of 3D printed particles using NanoScribe or FemtoPrint." Université Libre de Bruxelles (2021).