Measuring the Magnetic and Hydrodynamic Properties of Assembled-MEMS Microrobots

Microrobots experience physical phenomena that are difficult to model analytically and that are not completely captured with macro-scale prototypes. In this paper we present a reconfigurable robotic measurement system to characterize the magnetic and hydrodynamic properties of assembled-MEMS microrobots. The system consists of a powerful permanent magnet that is position controlled with a linear stage. The magnetic field is accurately characterized. Precision sensors are used to measure magnetic force as a function of applied field. The system is first used to validate an existing model for the magnetic force on a soft-magnetic ellipsoid. Next, the magnetic force on a soft-magnetic assembled-MEMS microrobot as a function of the applied field is measured experimentally. Finally, a vision tracking system is integrated with the setup to measure the hydrodynamic properties of the microrobot. The coefficient of viscous friction for the microrobot is obtained experimentally.