INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL

OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014

IJPRES 56

Automatic Control of ROBOT by Using
MEMS Technology
Madhulatha .Kothapu
1
, Ch . Venkat Ratnam
2

1
M. Tech Student, Modugula kalavathamma institute of technology for women, New
Boyanapalli village, Rajampet mandal, Kadapa district, JNTU , Anantapur.
2
Associate Professor, Modugula kalavathamma institute of technology for women, New
Boyanapalli village, Rajampet mandal, Kadapa district, JNTU , Anantapur.
ABSTRACT--An accelerometer is an
electromechanical device that measures acceleration
forces. These forces may be static, like the constant
force Gestures provide a rich and intuitive form of
interaction for controlling robots. Accelerometer
Converts acceleration from motion (dynamic
acceleration) or gravity (static acceleration) to either
analog or digital electrical signals. MEMS
accelerometers are one of the simplest but also most
applicable micro-electromechanical systems. They
became indispensable in automobile industry,
computer and audio-video technology. This is an
interesting robot that can be controlled by PSOC
based accelerometer device. This robot is controlled
by a RF remote. This can be moved forward and
reverse direction using geared motors of 60RPM.
Also this robot can take sharp turnings towards left
and right directions. In this project we are using
PSOC, DC Geared motors. In this project, L293D H-
Bridge is used to drive the geared DC. The rf
modules used here are STT-433/315
Transmitter,STR-433/315Mhz Receiver, HT12E RF
Encoder and HT12D RF Decoder. The three switches
are interfaced to the RF transmitter through RF
Encoder. The encoder continuously reads the status
of the switches, passes the data to the RF transmitter
and the transmitter transmits the data.
Keywords-PSOC 5(cortex M3 processor), ROBOT,
RF TX, RF RX
I. INTRODUCTION
MEMS and NEMS represent a fundamental
breakthrough in the way materials, devices and
systems are understood, designed and manufactured.
Using combination of microelectronics processes
developed within the semiconductor industry and
available bulk micro fabrication techniques,
mechanical elements such as sensors, cantilevers and
actuators used to sense and manipulate the
environment are combined with the needed electronic
circuitry to control the miniature device. Mems
usually combine electrical properties with mechanical
structural components at the microcontroller scale to
produce devices capable of performing tasks
impossible conventional technologies. For NEMS,
the unique properties and behaviors of matter
displayed at the nanometer scale have yet to be fully
understood or exploited.
II. MEMS DEVICES
The amount of devices developed is vast, and some
are as accelerometers, micro motors3-D micro listed
machined structures, actuators, micro pumps,
biomedical; devices, meters, optical micro valves,
flow devices/ mirrors, gas detectors ,Resonators,
Gyroscopes, Sensors, Magnetic devices
,Spectrometers embranes, Strain gauges, Micro
machines. Advanced Fabrication Techniques and
Materials as Nanofabrication that is smaller and
smaller, Polymers, Synthetic Biomaterials, new
technologies, molecular motors, new needs, new
knowledge of nanoscale fundamentals, design
limitations, technologies for interfacing across scales
of size like (Milli Micro Nan).

III. Design of Proposed Hardware System

we are using the MMA-7660L
accelerometer. This gives the readings of a particular
object in three dimensions (x, y, and z). So if we
move any object in any of the direction then the
corresponding values are taken by the accelerometer.
Then the micro controller will verify these
values and depending upon the variations in these
values the Robot will move in that particular
direction. To drive the robot we use the driver circuit.
In this we can control the robot direction according to
the hand movements of the user. Here we can also
control the robot pick and place according to the hand
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OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014
IJPRES 57

movements of the user. The moments of the robot are
displayed on the LCD which is connected to
microcontroller.
ROBOT END

The operating voltage for Microcontroller
AT89S52 is 5V. Hence the 5V D.C. power supply is
needed for the ICs. This regulated 5V is generated
by stepping down the voltage from 230V to 18V now
the step downed a.c voltage is being rectified by the
Bridge Rectifier using 1N4007 diodes. The rectified
a.c voltage is now filtered using a C filter. Now the
rectified, filtered D.C. voltage is fed to the Voltage
Regulator. This voltage regulator provides/allows us
to have a Regulated constant Voltage which is of
+5V. The rectified; filtered and regulated voltage is
again filtered for ripples using an electrolytic
capacitor 100F. Now the output from this section is
fed to 40
th
pin of AT89S52 microcontroller to supply
operating voltage. The microcontroller AT89S52
with Pull up resistors at Port0 and crystal oscillator of
11.0592 MHz crystal in conjunction with couple of
30-33pf capacitors is placed at 18
th
& 19
th
pins of
AT89S52 to make it work (execute) properly.
IV. The Hardware System

Micro controller: This section forms the control unit
of the whole project. This section basically consists
of a Microcontroller with its associated circuitry like
Crystal with capacitors, Reset circuitry, Pull up
resistors (if needed) and so on. The Microcontroller
forms the heart of the project because it controls the
devices being interfaced and communicates with the
devices according to the program being written.
ARM7TDMI: ARM is the abbreviation of Advanced
RISC Machines, it is the name of a class of
processors, and is the name of a kind technology too.
The RISC instruction set, and related decode
mechanism are much simpler than those of Complex
Instruction Set Computer (CISC) designs.
Liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat panel display,
electronic visual display that uses the light
modulation properties of liquid crystals. Liquid
crystals do not emit light directly. LCDs are available
to display arbitrary images or fixed images which can
be displayed or hidden, such as preset words, digits,
and 7-segment displays as in a digital clock. They use
the same basic technology, except that arbitrary
images are made up of a large number of small
pixels, while other displays have larger elements.
RFID Reader: RFID Reader Module, are also called
as interrogators. They convert radio waves Returned
from the RFID tag into a form that can be passed on
to Controllers, which can make use of it. RFID tags
and readers have to be tuned to the same frequency in
order to communicate.
MEMS:Here the MMA 7360L accelerometer gives
the readings of a particular object in three dimensions
(x, y, and z). So if we move any object in any of the
direction then the corresponding values are taken by
the accelerometer. . Then the micro controller will
verify these values and depending upon the variations
in these values the Robot will move in that particular
direction.
H-BRIDGE MOTOR: H-bridge is to construct with
transistors and Motor. It is used to rotate the Robot in
any one of the directions like left, right, forward,
backward and stop.
DC GEARED MOTOR: High efficiency, high
quality low cost DC motor with gearbox for robotics
applications. Very easy to use and available in
standard size. Nut and threads on shaft to easily
connect and internal threaded shaft for easily
connecting it to wheel.

V. Board Hardware Resources Features

MEMS:
Introduction:
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is the
integration of mechanical elements, sensors,
actuators, and electronics on a common silicon
substrate through microfabrication technology. While
the electronics are fabricated using integrated circuit
(IC) process sequences (e.g., CMOS, Bipolar, or
BICMOS processes), the micromechanical
Power
supply`
LCD
MEMS
Motors





Micro
controller
(AT89S52)

Motor

Dc
gear
Motor
Motor
driver
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OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014
IJPRES 58

components are fabricated using compatible
"micromachining" processes that selectively etch
away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural
layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical
devices.
MEMS promises to revolutionize nearly every
product category by bringing together silicon-based
microelectronics with micromachining technology,
making possible the realization of complete systems-
on-a-chip. MEMS is an enabling technology
allowing the development of smart products,
augmenting the computational ability of microelectro
microelectronics with the perception and control
capabilities of micro sensors and micro actuators and
expanding the space of possible designs and
applications.


Microelectronic integrated circuits can be thought of
as the "brains" of a system and MEMS augments this
decision-making capability with "eyes" and "arms",
to allow micro systems to sense and control the
environment. Sensors gather information from the
environment through measuring mechanical, thermal,
biological, chemical, optical, and magnetic
phenomena. The electronics then process the
information derived from the sensors and through
some decision making capability direct the actuators
to respond by moving, positioning, regulating,
pumping, and filtering, thereby controlling the
environment for some desired outcome or purpose.
Because MEMS devices are manufactured using
batch fabrication techniques similar to those used for
integrated circuits, unprecedented levels of
functionality, reliability, and sophistication can be
placed on a small silicon chip at a relatively low cost.


Microelectromechanical systems


A mite less than 1 mm on a MEMS device.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) (also
written as micro-electro-mechanical, or
MicroElectroMechanical) is the technology of the
very small, and merges at the nano-scale into
nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and
nanotechnology. MEMS are also referred to as
micromachines (in Japan), or Micro Systems
Technology - MST (in Europe). MEMS are separate
and distinct from the hypothetical vision of molecular
nanotechnology or molecular electronics. MEMS are
made up of components between 1 to 100
micrometres in size (i.e. 0.001 to 0.1 mm) and
MEMS devices generally range in size from 20
micrometres (20 millionths of a metre) to a
millimetre. They usually consist of a central unit that
processes data, the microprocessor and several
components that interact with the outside such as
microsensors. At these size scales, the standard
constructs of classical physics are not always useful.
Due to MEMS' large surface area to volume ratio,
surface effects such as electrostatics and wetting
dominate volume effects such as inertia or thermal
mass.
The potential of very small machines was appreciated
long before the technology existed that could make
themsee, for example, Richard Feynman's famous
1959 lecture There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.
MEMS became practical once they could be
fabricated using modified semiconductor device
fabrication technologies, normally used to make
electronics. These include molding and plating, wet
etching (KOH, TMAH) and dry etching (RIE and
DRIE), electro discharge machining (EDM), and
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OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014
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other technologies capable of manufacturing very
small devices.
MEMS description
MEMS technology can be implemented using a
number of different materials and manufacturing
techniques; the choice of which will depend on the
device being created and the market sector in which it
has to operate.
Mems accelerometer:
WHAT IS AN ACCELEROMETER?
An accelerometer is an instrument for measuring
acceleration, detecting and measuring vibrations, or
for measuring acceleration due to gravity
(inclination). Accelerometers can be used to measure
vibration on vehicles, machines, buildings, process
control systems and safety installations. They can
also be used to measure seismic activity, inclination,
machine vibration, dynamic distance and speed with
or without the influence of gravity.
HOW DOES AN ACCELEROMETER WORK?
Used for calculating acceleration and measuring
vibrations, the accelerometer is capable of detecting
even the slightest movements, from the tilting of a
building to smallest vibration caused by a musical
instrument. Inside the accelerometer sensor minute
structures are present that produces electrical charges
if the sensor experiences any movement.
Accelerometers need to be placed on the surface of
the object in order to determine the vibrations. It is
not capable of work in isolation or apart from the
object it is required to assess, it must be firmly
attached to the object in order to give precise
readings.
KINDS OF ACCELEROMETER
The two kinds of basic accelerometers are:
1. ANALOG ACCELEROMETER
At times Inputs and output readings also matter
especially when it comes to determining the kind of
accelerometer that needs to be placed on a certain
object. If the output is digital then a digital
accelerometer must be placed and vice versa. The
main feature of this accelerometer is that the output
tends to change when there is even a slight change in
the input.
The most common type of this accelerometer is used
in airbags of automobiles, to note the sudden drop in
the speed of the vehicle and to trigger the airbag
release. Even laptops are now being equipped with
accelerometers in order to protect the hard drive
against any physical dangers, caused mainly due to
accidental drops.
2. DIGITAL ACCELEROMETER
The digital accelerometer is more sophisticated than
the analog. Here the amount of high voltage time is
proportional to the acceleration. One of its major
advantages is that it is more stable and produces a
direct output signal. Accelerometers are now also
used in aerospace and many military applications,
such as missile launch, weapon fire system, rocket
deployment etc. Many a times these accelerometers
are used to protect fragile equipment during cargo
transportation, and report any strain that might cause
a possible damage. Some companies have also
managed to develop a wireless 3-axis accelerometers
which are not only low in cost but are also shock
durable. This 3-axis accelerometer has sensors that
are used to protect mobiles and music players. Also
these sensors are used in some of the devices used for
traffic navigation and control.
PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR
Depending upon the kind of work, the accelerometers
vary in the way they are prepared and how they work.
Some accelerometers use piezoelectricity, these are
man-made. In such accelerometers the acceleration is
calculated based upon the charges derived from the
microscopic crystalline structures when they are
accelerated due to motion.
MEMS ACCELEROMETER
Another kind works with the capacitance and the
changes initiated within it as a result of some
accelerative force. This technology is used from
automotive industry to agriculture industry and from
NASA to military researches and operations.
STRAIN GAUGE
This device is used to measure strain in an object,
which is detected by a foil strain element. If the
object, to which the gauge is attached is some how
deformed that creates electrical charges and is known
as the gauge factor.
ACCELEROMETER IS USED IN:
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014
IJPRES 60

Due to high demand and wide spread use of
accelerometers in the automotive industry and new
hi-tech technology, these sensors are now light
weight and are available at low cost and reduced
prices.
MICROPHONES
Microphones also carry accelerometers. That is how
they are able to detect the minute frequencies.
ROBOTICS
The forces that can cause vibrations which are
detected by the accelerometer can be static, dynamic
or gravitational. Certain accelerometers are rated G.
G stands for Gravity. Such accelerometers are used
mostly in robotics. They are more sensitive to motion
and can be triggered at the slightest changes in
gravitational pulls.

Accelerometers
Accelerometers are acceleration sensors. An inertial
mass suspended by springs is acted upon by
acceleration forces that cause the mass to be
deflected from its initial position. This deflection is
converted to an electrical signal, which appears at the
sensor output. The application of MEMS technology
to accelerometers is a relatively new development.
One such accelerometer design is discussed by
DeVoe and Pisano (2001) [8]. It is a surface
micromachined piezoelectric accelerometer
employing a zinc oxide (ZnO) active piezoelectric
film. The design is a simple cantilever structure, in
which the cantilever beam serves simultaneously as
proof mass and sensing element. One of the
fabrication approaches developed is a sacrificial
oxide process based on polysilicon surface
micromachining, with the addition of a piezoelectric
layer atop the polysilicon film. In the sacrificial oxide
process, a passivation layer of silicon dioxide and
low-stress silicon nitride is deposited on a bare
silicon wafer, followed by 0.5 micron of liquid phase
chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) phosphorous-
doped polysilicon. Then, a 2.0-micron layer of
phosphosilicate glass (PSG) is deposited by LPCVD
and patterned to define regions where the
accelerometer structure will be anchored to the
substrate. The PSG film acts as a sacrificial layer that
is selectively etched at the end to free the mechanical
structures. A second layer of 2.0-micron-thick
phosphorus-doped polysilicon is deposited via
LPCVD on top of the PSG, and patterned by plasma
etching to define the mechanical accelerometer
structure. This layer also acts as the lower electrode
for the sensing film. A thin layer of silicon nitride is
next deposited by LPCVD, and acts as a stress-
compensation layer for balancing the highly
compressive residual stresses in the ZnO film. By
varying the thickness of the Si3N4 layer, the
accelerometer structure may be tuned to control
bending effects resulting from the stress gradient
through the device thickness. A ZnO layer is then
deposited on the order of 0.5 micron, followed by
sputtering of a 0.2-micron layer of platinum (Pt)
deposited to form the upper electrode. A rapid
thermal anneal is performed to reduce residual
stresses in the sensing film. Afterwards, the Pt,
Si3N4, and ZnO layers are patterned in a single ion
milling etch step, and the devices are then released by
passivating the ZnO film with photoresist, and
immersing the wafer in buffered hydrofluoric acid,
which removes the sacrificial PSG layer .
V . Conclusion
As the industrial and research moves increasingly
towards intelligent, distributed as well as wireless
monitoring and control, MEMs technology will
probably play an increasingly vital role in this sector.
The trend toward MEMS-enabled miniaturization
and micromechatronics is bolstering the
development of components, devices, systems, and
sub systems for industrial applications. However,
concentrated research and development efforts,
which address technical and scientific issues, will
help in cornering other fields and fueling
developments in industrial automation in the coming
years. Mems is used in low or medium volume
applications.it is because of lack of fabrication
knowledge.if these problems are overcome then
minituraization will be at its highest level.
REFERENCES
[1]Built in capabilities enable new services and
catalyze innovation by R.M.Ramanathan and Rob
Willner.
[2] Navigation and Control for Large-Scale Wireless
Sensor Network repair, by Kyle Luthy in North
Carolina State University on May 6, 2009
[3] A Linear Base Articulated Robot Arm for surgical
endoscopy by Aaron Arthur Kracht.
[4] Implementation of MEMS technology in
Aquatic robots to obtain better maneuvering by using
pressure sensors 14-16 dec. 2009, This paper
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING STUDIES Volume II/Issue 2/MAR2014
IJPRES 61

appears in: Applied Electromagnetism Conference
(AEMC), 2009, Bhardwaj, A.
[5] Few photos are from Sandia National
[6] Milli-robotics for remote, minimally
invasive surgery by S. S. Sastry M. Cohn and
F. Tendick in Robotics and Autonomous
Systems Volume 21, Issue 3, 18 September
1997,Pages 305-316 Inertial sensors enhance
autonomous sys tems By Fritz Martin, Senior
Product Design Manager, Micro Strain |
Monday, October 25, 2010.

Madhulatha.Kothapu, pursuing her M.tech in
Embedded Systems from Modugula kalavathamma
institute of technology for women, , New Boyanapalli
village, Rajampet mandal, Kadapa district,A.P, India.
Affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological
University, Anantapur, and is approved by AICTE
Delhi.

Ch . Venkat Ratnam, her Qualification is M.tech,
currently working as an Associate Professor, in the
Department of Electronics and communication
Engineering, Nova College of Engineering &
Technology for Women, Jupudi village,
Ibrahimpatnam mandal, Krishna Dist, A.P, India.
Affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological