Abstract
With recent advancements, micro-object contactless conveyers are becoming an essential part of the biomedical sector. They help avoid any infection and damage that can occur due to external contact. In this context, a smart micro-conveyor is devised. It is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based system that employs a smart surface for conveyance along with an OmniVision complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) HD camera for micro-object position detection and tracking. A specific FPGA-based hardware design and VHSIC (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit) Hardware Description Language (VHDL) implementation are realized. It is done without employing any Nios processor or System on a Programmable Chip (SOPC) builder based Central Processing Unit (CPU) core. It keeps the system efficient in terms of resource utilization and power consumption. The micro-object positioning status is captured with an embedded FPGA-based camera driver and it is communicated to the Image Processing, Decision Making and Command (IPDC) module. The IPDC is programmed in C++ and can run on a Personal Computer (PC) or on any appropriate embedded system. The IPDC decisions are sent back to the FPGA, which pilots the smart surface accordingly. In this way, an automated closed-loop system is employed to convey the micro-object towards a desired location. The devised system architecture and implementation principle is described. Its functionality is also verified. Results have confirmed the proper functionality of the developed system, along with its outperformance compared to other solutions.