In biomedical applications, most robotic devices and mechanisms are at the millimetre to centimetre scale. At this scale, it becomes challenging to use traditional methods (e.g. electronic motors, pneumatic, hydraulic) to power and actuate these devices for the intended purpose across the necessary duration it needs to be active, while being compatible with the constraints of biological tissues. By relying on the interaction between magnetic fields to enable precise contactless control of magnetic objects to induce motion, manipulation, and reconfiguration, magnetic actuation gives an option to enable wireless powering and untethered control of these devices since the main power and control components can be off-board (not on the actual device itself) and is highly compatible with current medical devices (e.g. MRI machine) and is safe with human-body interaction. My approach is to integrate magnetic actuation with the fabricated mechanisms for potential untethered operations (shape-morphing for locomotion and specific tasks) in confined biomedical spaces (e.g. the gastrointestinal tract). Relies on the interaction between magnetic fields to enable precise contactless control of magnetic objects to induce motion, manipulation, and reconfiguration.

Related publications: [T-MECH 2023] [T-MECH 2020] [Comms. Eng. 2024]