| Summary: | This thesis presents a design methodology for MEMS that integrates Cosserat theory into haptic sensing tec1mology. The Cosserat method is applied to the modelling of MEMS in an effort to reduce the complexity of the modelling and to provide a more accurate representation of stress in miniaturised devices. The approach developed uses a new semi-analytical technique based on both power series expansion and a multimodal approximate method. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model, our method is tested successfully with simple MEMS components and compared with FEM and analytical solutions. Simple MEMS structures are implemented in a haptic environment to check the feasibility of real-time simulation using this theory. A userfriendly interface is also developed that allows the real-time display of simple MEMS structures such as a cantilever microbeam, a microbridge and a plate undergoing loads and the corresponding bending with force-feedback rendering and quantitative deflections. None of the existing CAD software packages for Microsystems enable real-time displays of accurate deflections.. Novel haptic implementations of surface interactions, such as the Casimir effect, are also implemented which have the potential to guide designers during the assembly process or to train engineers/scientists.
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