US 12,307,629 B2
System and method for model-predictive-control-based micro-assembly control with the aid of a digital computer
Ion Matei, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Johan de Kleer, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/745,811.
Application 18/745,811 is a continuation of application No. 17/098,816, filed on Nov. 16, 2020, granted, now 12,020,399.
Prior Publication US 2024/0338791 A1, Oct. 10, 2024
Int. Cl. B81C 99/00 (2010.01); B82B 3/00 (2006.01); G06T 3/4046 (2024.01); G06T 15/00 (2011.01)
CPC G06T 3/4046 (2013.01) [B81C 99/002 (2013.01); B82B 3/0076 (2013.01); G06T 15/005 (2013.01); H01L 2224/75901 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for model-predictive-control-based micro-assembly control with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a plurality of processors configured to execute computer-executable code, the processors comprising at least one of one or more graphics processing units (GPUs) and one or more of tensor processing units (TPUs) and are configured to:
obtain one or more parameters of a system for positioning a plurality of chiplets, each of the chiplets comprising a micro-object, the system comprising a plurality of electrodes, the electrodes configured to induce a movement of the chiplets when the chiplets are suspended in a fluid proximate to the electrodes upon a generation of one or more electric potentials by one or more of the electrodes;
model capacitance between the chiplets and the electrodes and the electrodes and capacitance between the chiplets based on the parameters of the system;
estimate positions of the chiplets based on images taken by at least one camera;
receive further positions of at least some of the chiplets;
perform model predictive control (MPC) optimization to derive based on the capacitance modeling a control scheme for moving the at least some chiplets from the positions to the further positions along trajectories and the electrode potentials necessary for the at least some chiplets to travel the along trajectories, wherein the trajectories are parametrized as smooth, time-dependent functions during the MPC optimization and the electrode potentials are parametrized as smooth time-and-space-dependent functions during the MPC optimization, wherein the processors are further configured to impose one or more constraints when performing the MPC optimization, one of the constraints comprising a minimum distance between the trajectories of the chiplets when performing the MPC optimization; and
control the electrodes to generate the electrode potentials in the control scheme.