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