Micromanipulator

A micromanipulator comprising a pair of hand modules each comprising:

• a circular base plate provided along its edge with three substantially equally spaced connection points, an end-effector consisting of a circular moving plate and a finger attached to the moving plate, the moving plate being disposed above the base plate and being provided along its edge with three substantially equally spaced connection points offset about 60 degrees from the connection points of the base plate,
• six metal links disposed between the base plate and the moving plate,
• six piezoelectric elements provided one on each of the six metal links for extending and contracting the metal links,
• six flexible first metalwire members each connected between one end of one of the six metal links and one of the three connection points of the base plate, two first metal wire members being connected with each connection point of the base plate to be inclined in different directions from each other, and
• six flexible second metal wire members each connected between the other end of one of the six metal links and one of the three connection points of the moving plate, two second metal wire members being connected with each connection point of the moving plate to be inclined in different directions from each other.