Multi-agent Control for Stochastic Optical Manipulation Systems

In this article, we propose a multi-agent robot control framework for coordinated manipulation of multiple micro-objects with Brownian perturbations. In this control approach, several micro-hands with multiple fingertips are first constructed by coordination of optically trapped particles so as to grasp the target micro-objects. The grasped micro-objects are then cooperatively manipulated through coordinative control of the micro-hands with multiple fingertips. While current optical manipulation techniques are heavily dependent on the physical properties of the manipulated micro-objects, this article offers a multi-agent robot control framework for coordinated manipulation of multiple micro-objects with arbitrary types in the microworld. The control problem is rigorously formulated with the consideration of the Brownian effect, and the stability of the control system is analyzed from a stochastic perspective. The effectiveness of the proposed control technique is validated with experimental results.