Design of a Novel Magnetically Actuated Biaxial Robot With Compact Structure and Easy Operation

Abstract

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel magnetically actuated biaxial robot with compact structure and easy operation. For the first time, the untethered robot enables grasping, rotating, and transporting operations of the target object by integrating magnetic torque and force driving. The grasping and rotating operations are realized via the magnetic torque produced by custom-built electromagnetic coils. The transporting process is implemented by the magnetic force created by permanent magnets carried on an external manipulator. Analytical models are established for studying the working principle. Optimization of the robot's structural parameters is carried out by performing a finite-element analysis simulation to achieve the expected performance. To characterize the actual performance, a magnetically actuated biaxial robot prototype is fabricated, and experimental tests are conducted. For demonstration, a zebrafish embryo has been dexterously manipulated by the proposed robot operating in a Petri dish filled with pure water. The results indicate that the reported robot can be used in the practical application of biological sample handling.