Designing local magnetic fields and path planning for independent actuation of multiple mobile microrobots

Abstract

Autonomous manipulation at the microscale has applications in both the manufacturing and biomedical industries. However, independent actuation of multiple robots equipped with different manipulators is important for the speed and success of manipulation. In this paper, we have developed a specialized substrate with an array of microcoils that can generate local magnetic fields to control multiple microrobots independently. We have developed a physics based planning approach to compute the paths for the microrobots that can avoid obstacles and are well-suited for execution by the array of microcoils for autonomous navigation. We have demonstrated the capability of the planner with simulation experiments and the effectiveness of the microcoil array in independent actuation of the microrobots with physical experiments. The limitations of the current system are presented and a modified microcoil array is proposed and analyzed for increased performance.