Moving Mechanism of and Control Method for a Vibration-Driven Electromagnet-Type Microrobot (Mathematical Model of Microrobot Running Straight, Investigations of Characteristics of Microrobot Running Straight and Turning by Simulation and Experiments)

Abstract

Large numbers of studies have focused on microrobots and numerous contests are held annually to develop microrobot technologies. These activities have resulted in that various types of microrobots have been proposed. They include motor, piezoelectric-element, and electromagnet microrobots. We consider a mechanism of movement and a method of control for an electro-magnet microrobot that both runs in a straight line and turns using a single electromagnet coil by adjusting the direction of the robot’s permanent magnets and the input voltage applied to the electromagnet coil. The microrobot’s straight running forward is modeled mathematically and its motion features are studied on horizontal and inclined planes through simulation and some experiments. In addition, turning characteristics is studied using an experiment.