1、Micro-machineFrom the beginning, mankind seems instinctively to have desired large machines and small machines. That is, large” and “small” in comparison with human-scale. Machine larger than human are powerful allies in the battle against the fury of nature; smaller machines are loyal partners that
2、 do whatever they are told.If we compare the facility and technology of manufacturing larger machines, common sense tells us that the smaller machines are easier to make. Nevertheless, throughout the history of technology, larger machines have always stood out. The size of the restored models of the
3、 water-mill invented by Vitruvius in the Roman Era, the windmill of the Middle Ages, and the steam engine invented by Watt is overwhelming. On the other hand, smaller machines in history of technology are mostly tools. If smaller machines are easier to make, a variety of such machines should exist,
4、but until modern times, no significant small machines existed except for guns and clocksThis fact may imply that smaller machines were actually more difficult to make. Of course , this does not mean simply that it was difficult to make a small machine; It means that it was difficult to invent a smal
5、l machine that would be significant to human beings.Some people might say that mankind may not have wanted smaller machines. This theory, however ,dies not explain the recent popularity of palm-size mechatronics products.Some people might say that mankind may not have wanted smaller machines. This t
6、heory, however, does not explain the recent popularity of palm-size mechatronics products.The absence of small machines in history may be due to the extreme difficulty in manufacturing small precision parts.2. Why micromachine nowThe dream of the ultimate small machine, or micro-machine, was first d
7、epicted in detail about 30 years ago in the 1966 movie “Fantastic Voyage”. At that time, the study of micro-machining of semiconductors had already begun. Therefore, manufacturing minute mechanisms through micro-machining of semiconductors would have been possible, even that time,. There was, howeve
8、r, a wait of over 20 years before the introduction, about 10 years ago, of electrostatic motors and gears made by semiconductor micromachining.Why didnt the study of micro-machining and the dream of micro-machines meet earlier? A possible reason for this is as follows. In addition to micro-machining
9、, the development of micromachines requires a number of technologies including materials, instrumentations, control, energy, information processing, and design. Before micro-machine research and development can be started, all of these technologies must reach a certain level. In other words, the ove
10、rall technological level, as a whole, must reach a certain critical point, but it hadnt reached that point 30 ago.Approximately 20 years after “Fantastic Voyage”., the technology level for micromachines finally reached a critical point. Micromotors and gears made by semiconductor micromachining were
11、 introduced at about that time, triggering the research on development of micromachines.The backgroud of the micromachine boom, which started about 10 years ago, can be explained by the above.3.micromachine as gentle machinesHow do micromachines of the future differ from conventional machines? How w
12、ill they change the relationship between nature and humans?The most unique feature of micro-machine is, of course, its small size. Utilizing its tiny dimensions, a micromachine can perform tasks in a revolutionary way that would be impossible for conventional machines. That is, micro-machines do not
13、 affect the object or the environment as much as conventional machines do. Micromachines perform their tasks gently. This is a fundamental difference between micromachines and conventional machines.The medical field holds the highest expectations for benefits from this feature of micromachines. Diad
14、nosis and treatment will change drastically from conventional methods, and “Fantastic Voyage” may no longer be a fantasy. If a micromachine can gently enter a human body to treat illness, humans will be freed from painful surgery and uncomfortable gastro-camera testing. Furtherore, if micro-machines
15、 can halt the trend of ever-increasing size in medical equipment, it could slow the excess growth and complexity of medical technology, contributing to the solving of serious problems with high medical costs for citizens.Micro-machines are gentle also in terms of machine maintenance, since they can
16、be inspected and repaired without difficulty in reaching and overhauling the engine or plant. The more complex the machine, the more susceptible it is to malfunction due to overhaul and assembly. In addition, there have been more instances of human errors during overhaul and assembly. It is good for
17、 the machine if overhaul is not necessary. It is even better if maintenance can be performed without stopping the machine. Repeated stop-and-go operation will accelerate damage of the machine due to excess stress caused by thermal expansion.Such gentleness of a mocromachine is an advantage, as well
18、as a weakness in that a micromachine is too fragile to resist the object or the environment; this is the drawback of the micro-scale objects.For example, a fish can swim freely against the current, but a small plankton cannot. This is result of physical laws and nothing can change it. Still, the pla
19、nkton can live and grow in the natural environment by conforming to the environment.Unlike conventional machines which fight and control natural, micromachines will probably adapt to and utilize nature. If a micromachine cannot proceed against the current, a way will be found to proceed with the flo
20、w, naturally avoiding collisions with obstacles.4. Micro-electronics and mechatronicsThe concept of micromachines and related technologies is still not adequately unified, as these are still at the development stage. The micromachines and related technologies are currently referred to by a variety o
21、f different terms. In the United States, the accepted term is “micro electro mechanical systems” (MEMS); in Europe, The term “Microsystems technology”(MST) is common, while the term “micro-engineering” is sometimes used in Britain. Meanwhile in Australia “micro-machine”. The most common term if it i
22、s translated into English is “micromachine”. The most common term if it is translated into English is “micromachine” in Japan. However “micro-robot” and “micro-mechanism” are also available case by case.The appearance of these various terms should be items taken as reflecting not merely diversity of
23、 expression, but diversity of the items referred to. Depending on whether the item referred to is an object or a technology, the terminology may be summed up as follows:Object: micro-robot, micro-mechanismTechnology: micro-engineering, MSTObject & technology: MEMS, micro-machineWith regard to techno
24、logy, if we summarize the terms according to 1) where the technology for micromachine systems branched from, and 2) whether the object dealt with by the technology in question is an element or a machine system, the terms can be organized as follows. That is, MEMS and MST stem from mechatronics, and
25、have developed dealing mainly with machine systems. In this sense, MEMS and MST on the one hand micromachines and microengineering on the other hand form two separate groups, but as former has started to move in the direction of machine systems, while the latter has already incorporated microelectro
26、nics, the difference between the two groups are gradually disappearing.Looking at the areas in the two groups, given that the machine systems which are the main concern of micromachine include microelectronics, it would be natural to assume that micromachines inchude MEME and MST.5 .the definition a
27、nd development aim It is difficult at present to give a unified definition of micromachines, but if these are taken to be machine systems as output of micromachine technology, the scope for variation of the definition narrows slightly. The micromachine technology project being project being promoted
28、 under the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of MITI, and the micro-machine Center, define micro-machines as follows:Micro-machines are small machines composed of sophisticated functional elements less than a few millimeters in size, const
29、ructed to perform complex tasks on a small scale.The above definition of micro-machines is in fact inseparable from the development aims for micro-machines. At present, debate on the definition of micro-machines is exactly the same as debating development aims, that is, the diversity of definitions
30、of micromachines reflects the diversity of development aims. 6.Conclusions.Micromachines are unconventional artifacts with respects to their gentle features to people and nature. The current diversity of the definition of them is originated from development objectives and technological starting poin
31、ts. Micromachine technologies, in view of their development prospect, are expected as generic technologies for the twenty-first century to support industry and medicine as well as daily life. Micromachine technologies are essential also for improving the conventional machines in general.Micro-machin
32、es are artifacts in tiny size, but they will exert a strong influence on our lifestyles and society.译文： 微 型 机 器从一开始，人类似乎本能的就有一种想制造“大机器”和“小机器”的愿望，这里的所谓“大”和“小”是相对人类身体本身的尺寸而言。比人体大的机器将成为人类同暴虐无情的自然界做斗争的得力助手，而些小机器则只能乖乖地听从人类的命令，让干什么就干什么。1、介绍如果我们比较那些比较大的机器的设备和生产科技，普通的感觉告诉我们，小机器容易制造，然而，在全历史期间，大机器已经阐述了这一点。在罗马
33、时期，威克威斯发明的在水战中已经修复过的模型尺寸，还有，中世纪的风车和瓦特发明的蒸汽机正在代替。在另一方面，科技历史上的小机器主要是工具，如果小机器容易制造，像这样的很多种机器应该存在。但直到现代，除了枪和时钟之外，没有标志性的小机器诞生。这个事实可能暗示小机器实际上更难制造。当然，这不简单地意味着制造一个小机器是困难的。它意味着发明一个对人类有标志性意义的小机器是困难的。一些人可能说人类不想要小机器，然而，这个理论不能解释近来流行的袖珍型的机械产品。历史上小机器的缺乏可能因为在生产小的精确部分的困难。2、为什么现在有微型机器最后的小机器的梦想，或者微型机器，大约在三十年前，即 1966年由影
34、片“梦幻旅行”里，第一次详细的描叙了。在那个时候半导体的微型机器的研究已经开始了。甚至在那个时候通过半导体的小机器的微小生产机械化已经可能了，然而，在大约十年以前通过半导体小机械制造的马达和传动装置的产品出现之前等了二十年。为什么小机器的研究和梦想不能早点满足呢？可能是下面这些原因，除微型机器外，小微型机器的发展要求很多科技，包括材料控制，能量，信息进程和设计，在微型机器可能开始被研究和发展之前，所有的这些科技必须达到某一定的水平。换句话说，总之，全面的科技水平必须达到关键的一点，但是在三十年前没有达到那点。大约在“梦幻旅行”之后二十年，微型机器的科技水平最后达到了关键点上，也大约在那个时候通
35、过半导体的微型机械制造的微型马达和传动装置的被介绍，启发了微型机器发展的研究。大约在十年前开始的微型机械繁荣的背景可能是上述原因。3、微型机器作为好机器怎样区别将来的微型机器和一般机器？他们将怎样改变人类和自然的关系？当然，微型机器最独特的特征是：它是很小的，利用它微小的尺寸，改革后的微型机器将可能像一般机器一样执行任务，那就是微型机器不影响物体和环境，就像一般机器一样，能很好的执行任务。这就是一般机器和微型机器之间的基本区别。医疗领域只有最高期望：从微型机器中可以得到益处，诊断和治疗将从一般方式彻底改变， “梦幻旅行”不可能是个梦想。如果机器能够进入人的身体治疗疾病，人类将减轻像手术一样的痛
36、苦和透射那样的不舒服感，而且，在医疗器械方面如果微型机器能够停止尺寸增长的趋势，它可能减少医疗科技方面的增长和复杂，而医疗科技将为人们解决严重问题。微型机器在机器维修方面也是很方便的。但是在拖动设备时它们不能方便的修理，因为拖动和安装，机器越复杂，功能越敏锐。而且，在拖动和安装时，人们出现的错误有很多情况，如果没有必要拖动，对机器来讲是有益处的。如果不用停止机器就可以维修的话是最好的。反复的开和停，将会加速机器的损坏，这是因为冷气装置的膨胀引起压力。这样好的微型机器有优点也有缺点。那就是微型机器太脆弱不能抵制周围环境和物体，这是因为缺少微型物。例如，鱼在水里能很自由的游，但是浮游生物不能，这是
37、自然规律，没有什么能改变，然而，浮游生物能够在合适的环境里生活和成长。不象一般机器能对抗或控制自然，微型机器只可能适应和利用自然，如果微型机器不能加速潮流，那么跟随潮流将会发现一种方法，这样可自然的避免碰撞和障碍。4、微电微型机器的概念和相关的科技不能充分的成为一体，因为这也是发展的阶段，微机和相关科技当今由不同时期决定，在美国，接受的时期是“微电机械化系统” ，在欧洲， “微系统科技”时期很普通，而在英国，有时候是“微电”而同时在澳大利亚用“微型机器” ，在日本的时期如果翻译成英语就是“微机” ，然而， “微机器人”和“微机械化”也是有益的。这些不同时期的出现是反映而不仅仅是表达的不同，是指
38、一系列的不同，根据指的物体还是科技，可用下列术语综合：物体：微机器人，微机械化科技：机电，MST物体与科技：MEMS，微机关于科技，如果我们根据 1）总结的时期分离出机械化系统的科技，根据 2）是否可怀疑通过科技处理的物体，是一个基本元素还是机械系统。总结如下：那就是，从机械化MEMS和 MST系列，已经发展处理主要的机械系统，在这种情况下一方面 MEMS，MST，微机和微电，另一方面形成两个分离的组。但是以前已经开始了机械系统移动的方向，然而后来已经混合了微电，这两组之间的区别是逐渐消失的。在这两组看，假设机械系统，它是主要包括基本元素的微机；假定微机包括微电，那么假设微机包括 MEMS和
39、MST是很自然的。5、定义和发展目标现在对微机下一个相一致的定义是困难的，但是如果这些极限当作机械系统作为微机科技的产量，那么定义变化的仪器有点狭窄。通过工业科学和科技领域的计划以及微机中心，促进了微机科技。定义微机如下：微机是小的机器，由少于一毫 m的复杂功能元素组成。用在一个小的尺度上，装配来执行复杂的任务。以上微机的定义事实上是不能从微机发展的目标中分离开来的。目前，既讨论微机的定义，同时讨论发展的目标，那就是，微机的不同定义反映了发展目标的不同。6、结论微机是不方便的，因为它们对人类而言所具有的特征。现在定义的不同是源于发展目标和科技起点。回看它的发展景色，微机科技被期望像一般科技一样，在二十一世纪支持工业和医疗，跟日常生活相似。总的来说，为提高普通机器，微科技是必要的。微机在微小尺寸方面是人造物品，但它们将对我们的生活和社会产生强烈的影响。
