Development of a Magnetic Micro-Robotic System and Micro Agent’s Motion Control through Visual Feedback

Abstract

Micro robotics is a fast-growing field with a wide spectrum of applications which include biomedical, surveillance, defense, space exploration, geological exploration, environmental monitoring, and oil seepage cleaning to name a few. These robots are actuated through wireless power sources such as light, electrostatic, electrophoretic, dielectrophoretic, and magnetic or they can be chemically self-propelled. Magnetic actuation is widely used because of its long-range, cost-effectiveness, and biocompatibility at low frequencies. Magnetic actuators are constructed using Maxwell, Helmholtz, and cylindrical coils. A Helmholtz coil and Maxwell coil pair can generate a uniform magnetic field and uniform magnetic gradient along its central axis respectively. uniform magnetic gradient fields or uniform magnetic fields are used to actuate and control the movement of microrobots. By using one or more of these types of coils, 1D, 2D, 3D, or multiple degrees of freedom micro-robotic systems are developed. Numerous kinds of feedbacks such as visual feedback, ultrasonic feedback, and hepatic feedback are used for precise motion control. This dissertation investigates the various parameters that influence the magnetic field produced by a magnetic actuator, based upon the established theories, and proposes a technique to fabricate and optimize the actuation system and electromagnetic actuators. To produce an optimized magnetic field, a highly accurate and precise planer and collinear arrangement of the coils. 2-DOF magnetic actuator manipulation system were designed and developed. Moreover, using a 2-DOF magnetic actuator system, a magnetic micro-robotic manipulation system with visual feedback was designed and developed. Fe3O4 iceberg like microstructure an d The motion of Fe3O4 base particles on microrobots is studied using an open-loop control system (with visual feedback). Microbots show rotating, and linear motion of the micro-robot in ROI show the capability and movement controllability of the system