Experimental performance analysis of an electromagnetic impact-drive microrobot

Abstract

Embedding a wireless power source in a microrobot rises several constraints that can make the system non-functional: limited power, limited energy, or varying voltage or current. To avoid this situation, the robot should be able to work efficiently under varying voltage/current. We then propose a methodology that helps predicting if a given microrobot can meet these requirements. This methodology is applied on a microrobot that integrates a single two-dimensional digital electromagnetic actuator used for an impact-drive locomotion. We designed a prototype of the robot, qualitatively demonstrated its two-dimensional displacement and characterized it in one dimension. This characterization is used to demonstrate that the performance and the operating range of the microrobot are sufficiently adaptable to consider the integration of a wireless power supply.