MiGriBot: A miniature parallel robot with integrated gripping for high-throughput micromanipulation.

Although robotic micromanipulation using microtweezers has been widely explored, the current manipulation throughput hardly exceeds one operation per second. Increasing the manipulation throughput is thus a key factor for the emergence of robotized microassembly industries. This article presents MiGriBot (Millimeter Gripper Robot), a miniaturized parallel robot with a configurable platform and soft joints, designed to perform pick-and-place operations at the microscale. MiGriBot combines in a single robot the benefits of a parallel kinematic architecture with a configurable platform and the use of soft joints at the millimeter scale. The configurable platform of the robot provides an internal degree of freedom that can be used to actuate microtweezers using piezoelectric bending actuators located at the base of the robot, which notably reduces the robot's inertia. The soft joints make it possible to miniaturize the mechanism and to avoid friction. These benefits enable MiGriBot to reach a throughput of 10 pick-and-place cycles per second of micrometer-sized objects, with a precision of 1 micrometer.

Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems.

Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities.