Coordinated non-contact transport of multiple objects via ultrasonic robotic manipulation

• A multi-target coordinated transport strategy has been proposed. • An ultrasonic robotic system capable of achieving non-contact transport has been proposed. • An iterative-based acoustic field construction strategy has been proposed. • Non-contact cooperative transport of multiple microspheres has been achieved. Non-contact transport based on acoustic manipulation offers a high‑precision, non‑destructive, and biocompatible method, with wide applications in micro‑assembly, precision manufacturing, and biomedicine. However, most existing studies on ultrasonic transport systems focus on single targets, making it challenging to satisfy the requirements of multi-target transport. Therefore, this study integrated a five-degree-of-freedom robotic arm with a cylindrical ultrasonic phased array (CUPA) and proposed an ultrasonic robotic coordinated transport system for multi-target transport. Furthermore, an iterative strategy for constructing complex acoustic fields was developed to address diverse acoustic manipulation requirements during the coordinated transport process. In the experiment, the proposed system successfully achieved complex acoustic manipulation, including pickup, coordinated transport, and precise release of microspheres on different platforms, by jointly controlling the posture of the robotic arm and the acoustic field structure within the CUPA. The proposed transport scheme and acoustic field construction strategy have successfully overcome the limitations of single-target ultrasonic transport, providing an effective acoustic solution for multi-target coordinated transport and opening up a new pathway for broader applications in related fields.