Equilibrium and locomotion characteristics of multi-modular magnetic millirobots with different magnet patterns

This paper investigated a multi-modular magnetic microrobot/millirobot (MMM) with a serial chain structure consisting of multiple identical modules. Depending on the magnet pattern used for the MMM's modules, an MMM can have different equilibrium postures under an external magnetic field, such as assembled ring and disassembled straight-line postures. In this study, we investigated the equilibrium and locomotion characteristics of the MMM by applying two different representative magnet patterns, considered to be effective for magnetic actuation, to the robots. We established various equations to determine and control the assembly, disassembly, and locomotion of the MMM with each magnet pattern. We also conducted various experiments demonstrating the assembly, disassembly, and cargo delivery capabilities of the MMM under different external magnetic fields. Results confirmed that each MMM and their magnet pattern have distinctive and useful characteristics, demonstrating that the two magnet patterns can be selectively and effectively used as MMM in different applications. (c) 2024 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).