We have formulated a method and implemented a device for magnetic levitation with a translation range which is at least twice as large as the dimensions of the levitated body in all directions. The motion range can be extended to any distance in the horizontal plane by adding more coils to the actuator array, and the rotation is potentially unlimited in all directions.
We have formulated and implemented a control system for levitation and motion control of a disk magnet using a planar array of electromagnetic coils and an optical localizer to provide real time position feedback. The significance of this work is that this is the first magnetic levitation system which controls the orientation and position of a levitated body throughout a workspace volume whose dimensions are multiples of those of the levitated body in all directions. Furthermore, the horizontal range of motion can be extended indefinitely by adding more coils to the planar array. The potential applications of this levitation system include any robotic manipulation and positioning tasks such as camera and antenna pointing, materials handling and processing, and haptic interaction. Analysis methods, implementation details, and experimental results are given for our current system with a 37.5 mm diameter and 12.5 mm height magnet and 10 actuator coils, providing an 80x60x30 mm range of motion.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.