Acquisition of 3-dimensional stereoscopic images under a microscope by a swinging glass stage

Abstract

To execute efficient and precise handling tasks in micro world, a bilateral system which connects the micro and macro worlds in both directions has been developed. In order to improve the work efficiency, 3-imensional observation of objects in the micro world is necessary. Two images with parallax are necessary for the 3-D observation, but it is difficult to obtain these images under a microscope. In addition, in order for the operator to presence an accurate operation, it is necessary to have an operation that is realistic and does not make the operator feel uncomfortable. In this research, we proposed a method of obtaining parallax images by inserting a glass plate under the microscope, tilting the plate and thus changing the optical path by a small distance. In addition, in order to electrically control the tilt of the glass plate, we developed a swinging actuator driven by voice coils. We also prototyped a swing glass stage and measured its characteristics. To stabilize the feed-back system, the peak of the resonance frequency was suppressed by applying electromagnetic damping. The characteristics of the feed-back system was estimated.