Welcome in! We are the 2024 Acousto Robotics! Below is the detalied of our project!

Final presentation

 These are our team members and each person in charge of different part as show below:

Haojun Xu

Open CV

Electronic

Yujing Lu

Acoustics

Arduino

Yuqi Wu

3D printing

Website

Zhiyu Zhao

Arduino 

Hardware

Abstract

 Droplet manipulation in microfluidic systems plays a crucial role in advancing fields such as biomedical research, drug discovery, chemical synthesis, and lab-on-a-chip technologies. This study presents the design and operation of a transducer array device that uses acoustic waves to achieve precise, non-contact control of droplet movement. The array, composed of piezoelectric transducers, generates localized acoustic fields that can dynamically manipulate droplets by altering signal frequency, amplitude, and phase. Key applications include high-throughput screening, biological sample handling, and controlled drug delivery. However, challenges such as maintaining control precision, ensuring material compatibility, and managing large-scale throughput are critical barriers to broader implementation. To address these, we propose future enhancements, including the integration of advanced feedback systems, scalable multichannel designs, and the use of machine learning for adaptive control. This research outlines both the capabilities and limitations of transducer-based droplet manipulation, highlighting its potential to revolutionize microfluidic operations in diverse scientific and industrial settings.


Introduction

 Droplet manipulation has emerged as a pivotal technique in microfluidics, enabling precise control over the assemble[1], movement and merging[1-2]. This ability is critical for a wide range of applications, including biological assays, drug screening, chemical synthesis, and lab-on-a-chip systems. Traditional methods of droplet manipulation, such as mechanical pumps or electric fields, often involve direct contact with the droplets, posing risks of contamination, limited flexibility, or reduced precision. To overcome these limitations, acoustic-based droplet manipulation using transducer arrays has gained significant attention due to its non-invasive, highly adaptable, and precise control[3-4]. Although some current methods use acoustic waves to realize particle movement, merging[5], and assembly[6], these methods require manual adjustment of the function generator, making automatic particle movement unattainable. To address this issue and achieve automatic particle movement in mid-air using low-cost acoustic technology, we developed an acousto-robotic system by combining OpenCV and an Arduino board with an ultrasonic transducer.

 

Project goal

Our project aims to explore and implement the manipulation of small particles/cells in mid-air using acoustic technology in low lost. By leveraging precisely controlled acoustic waves, we seek to establish a non-contact, automatic method for the movement, alignment, and aggregation of particles/cells. This project will advance the understanding of acoustic particle/cells control in open environments, with potential applications in fields such as material assembly, microfluidics, and contactless handling systems. 

System decomposition

Current circuit

Project Design Process

Section 1: Working mechanism

Section 2 : Simulation

Frequency adjustment

Frequency adjustment

Section 3 : Experimental verification

Frequency adjustment

Phase adjustment

Section 4: Arduino Control

#include <NewPing.h>
#define TRIGGER_PIN1 13
#define ECHO_PIN1 12
#define TRIGGER_PIN2 9
#define ECHO_PIN2 8
#define TRIGGER_PIN3 10
#define ECHO_PIN3 14
#define TRIGGER_PIN4 11
#define ECHO_PIN4 15
NewPing sonar1(TRIGGER_PIN1, ECHO_PIN1, 200);
NewPing sonar2(TRIGGER_PIN2, ECHO_PIN2, 200);
NewPing sonar3(TRIGGER_PIN3, ECHO_PIN3, 200);
NewPing sonar4(TRIGGER_PIN4, ECHO_PIN4, 200);
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
}
void loop() {
  char command;
  if (Serial.available()) {
    command = Serial.read();
    switch (command) {
      case ‘w’:
        moveForward();
        break;
      case ‘a’:
        moveLeft();
        break;
      case ‘s’:
        moveBackward();
        break;
      case ‘d’:
        moveRight();
        break;
    }
  }
  delay(100);
}
void moveForward() {
  int distance1 = sonar1.ping_cm();
  int distance2 = sonar2.ping_cm();
  if (distance1 > 0 && distance2 > 0) {
    Serial.println(“Ball moving forward”);
  }
}
void moveLeft() {
  int distance1 = sonar1.ping_cm();
  int distance3 = sonar3.ping_cm();
  if (distance1 > 0 && distance3 > 0) {
    Serial.println(“Ball moving left”);
  }
}
void moveBackward() {
  int distance3 = sonar3.ping_cm();
  int distance4 = sonar4.ping_cm();
  if (distance3 > 0 && distance4 > 0) {
    Serial.println(“Ball moving backward”);
  }
}
void moveRight() {
  int distance2 = sonar2.ping_cm();
  int distance4 = sonar4.ping_cm();
  if (distance2 > 0 && distance4 > 0) {
    Serial.println(“Ball moving right”);
  }
}

Section 5 : open CV

Open CV recognizes the position of ball

PID control



Result

Summary and future work

In our future work, we will extend the manipulation of particle from gas environments to liquid environments, enabling precise drug release through controlled droplets within liquids to realize cancer treatment. This advancement will further facilitate targeted drug delivery within tumor microenvironments, paving the way for effective cancer treatments.

Reference

[1] A. F. Demirörs, P. P. Pillai, B. Kowalczyk, B. A. Grzybowski, Nature 2013, 503, 99-103.

[2] A. Aubret, M. Youssef, S. Sacanna, J. Palacci, Nature Physics 2018, 14,1114-1118.

[3] F. Guo, P. Li, J.B. French, Z. M. Mao, H. Zhao, S. X. Li, N. Nama, J. R. Fick, S. J. Benkovic,T. J. Huang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2015, 112, 43-48.

[4] D. Kamsma, P.Bochet, F. Oswald, N. Alblas, S. Goyard, G. J. L. Wuite, E. J. G. Peterman, T.Rose, Cell Rep. 2018, 24, 3008-3016.

[5] P. R. Zhang, C. Y. Chen, X. Y. Su, O. Mai, Y. Y. Gu, Z. H. Tian, H. D. Zhu, Z. W. Zhong, H. Fu, S. J. Yang, K. Chakrabarty, T. J. Huang, Science Advances 2020, 6.

[6] S. J. Yang, Z. H. Tian, Z. Y. Wang, J. Rufo, P. Li, J. Mai, J. P. Xia, H. Bachman, P. H. Huang, M. X. Wu, C. Y. Chen, L. P. Lee, T. J. Huang, Nature Materials 2022, 21, 540-+.