SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

published: 26 August 2021

doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.736730

Study on Magnetic Control Systems

of Micro-Robots
Youjia Shao 1,3 , Ashraf Fahmy 2,4 , Ming Li 1 , Chunxu Li 1,5*, Wencang Zhao 1* and
Johann Sienz 2
1
School of Automation and Electronic Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China, 2 Faculty
of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom, 3 Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China, 4 Department of Electrical Power and Machines, School of Engineering,
Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt, 5 Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems, University of Plymouth, Plymouth,
United Kingdom

Magnetic control systems of micro-robots have recently blossomed as one of the

most thrilling areas in the field of medical treatment. For the sake of learning how to
apply relevant technologies in medical services, we systematically review pioneering
works published in the past and divide magnetic control systems into three categories:
stationary electromagnet control systems, permanent magnet control systems and
mobile electromagnet control systems. Based on this, we ulteriorly analyze and illustrate
their respective strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, aiming at surmounting the
instability of magnetic control system, we utilize SolidWorks2020 software to partially
Edited by: modify the SAMM system to make its final overall thickness attain 111 mm, which is
Hang Su, capable to control and observe the motion of the micro-robot under the microscope
Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, Italy
system in an even better fashion. Ultimately, we emphasize the challenges and open
Reviewed by:
problems that urgently need to be settled, and summarize the direction of development
Maozhen Li,
Brunel University London, in this field, which plays a momentous role in the wide and safe application of magnetic
United Kingdom control systems of micro-robots in clinic.
Yanjie Wang,
Hohai University, China Keywords: micro-robot, magnetic control system, electromagnet, permanent magnet, magnetic field
*Correspondence:
Wencang Zhao
zhao_coinslab@outlook.com INTRODUCTION
Chunxu Li
chunxu.li@plymouth.ac.uk Micro-robot is a typical micro-electromechanical system, which refers to a type of robot with
a scale of 1 micron to a few millimeters and is capable of autonomous movements (Nelson
Specialty section: et al., 2010; Sitti et al., 2015). With the cross-development of disciplines such as microelectronics,
This article was submitted to cybernetics, computers, materials and bionics, it has brought opportunities for rapid development
Neuroprosthetics,
of micro-robot technology in the medical field, promoting automation and robotization in the
a section of the journal
medical field (Schmidt et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2020b). There are four main applications in medical
Frontiers in Neuroscience
treatment. One is to clear the cardiovascular blockage. The second is to destroy the local lesions of
Received: 05 July 2021
the human body, and the third is to realize the diagnosis of the disease. The fourth is precise drug
Accepted: 31 July 2021
deliver. When the size of the robot is reduced to the micron or nanometer level, the inertial force of
Published: 26 August 2021
the robot is negligibly small and the resistance of the liquid plays a major role. Human body fluids
Citation:
are located in a low Reynolds number (Re) environment (Zhang et al., 2009; Ng et al., 2019; Xu
Shao Y, Fahmy A, Li M, Li C, Zhao W
and Sienz J (2021) Study on Magnetic
et al., 2019; Yu et al., 2019). When the Reynolds number is low, either the viscosity of the liquid
Control Systems of Micro-Robots. is high, or objects in this environment move very slowly, or the size of the object is small (Abbott
Front. Neurosci. 15:736730. et al., 2009). Due to the different working environments, the micro-robot needs to use a distinct
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.736730 driving method than the large robot to keep pushing.

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

At this stage, this paper mainly studies magnetic field driving Magnetic Force and Moment Owing to the small size of the
method of micro-robots. Magnetically controlled micro-robots, micro-robot, it can be regarded as a magnetic dipole model
which can be dynamically adjusted by the external driving relative to the external magnetic field (Song et al., 2017). Let
magnetic field to take action on the permanent magnet inside m denote the magnetic moment of the magnetic dipole and B
the robot, can obtain the desired driving force and auxiliary denote magnetic flux density, then the potential energy of the
torque (Li et al., 2018; Yu et al., 2018). This exterior magnetic magnetic dipole in the external magnetic field is (Nguyen et al.,
field driving method can enhance the flexibility and increase the 2016):
moving distance of the micro-robot in the body. What’s more,
there is no limit to the walking route, which can be accurately U = −m · B (1)
controlled in real time. Magnetic field driving has significant
advantages, with controllability and safety (Gang et al., 2011; Using law of conservation of energy (Sarton et al., 1929), the
Yan et al., 2015). In the medical field, some traditional actuation magnetic force on the magnetic dipole can be obtained as (Boyer,
methods, such as endoscopes or catheters, can be inserted into the 1988):
body from the mouth or anus of patients. However, this will make
the patient feel a strong sense of discomfort during the detection F = −∇U = −(m · B) (2)
and these traditional methods have working blind spots as
well as collected patient information is not comprehensive (Yan According to Maxwell’s equation (Monk, 1992), ∇ · B = 0, then
et al., 2017). By comparison, micro-robots driven by external formula (2) becomes:
magnetic fields can perform a full range of inspections in the
F = ∇B · m (3)
human body, and they will not cause too much discomfort to
humans with high precision and efficiency (Yu et al., 2017). It can be viewed in formula (3) that the direction of the
These micro-robots can better adapt to the narrow working magnetic dipole in the external magnetic field is consistent with
space and internal environment, and are expected to become the direction of the gradient of magnetic flux density, and its
the mainstream development trend of micro-robots. At present, magnitude is proportional to the magnitude of the gradient of
the magnetic field driving method is a generally recognized magnetic flux density. Furthermore, it can be known that the
functional method in the field of micro-robot driving, having a magnetic dipole is only subjected to magnetic force under the
broad application prospect (Lee et al., 2001; Jin et al., 2016; Yang condition in which the external magnetic field has a gradient
et al., 2017, 2020a; Wang et al., 2018). instead of a uniform magnetic field. The magnetic moment of the
Even though magnetic control systems of micro-robots magnetic dipole in the external magnetic field can be expressed
have made great progress, they still have some instability as (Vaidman, 1990):
and most of them are currently limited to research in the
laboratory environment. In order to obtain a better observation T = m × B (4)
of the movement of micro-robots under the microscope in
the laboratory, we utilize SolidWorks2020 software to partially It can be seen that when the magnetic moment m and the external
change and model the SAMM system (Wright et al., 2017). magnetic field B form an angle of 90 degrees, the magnetic
The optimization of magnetic control systems for entering the moment reaches the maximum. When the magnetic moment m
clinic widely and safely has become inevitable, and it is also is parallel to the magnetic field B, the magnetic moment is zero
the focus of the further promotion of micro-robots. In this (Sun et al., 2016). Therefore, the direction of a magnetic dipole
paper, we firstly introduce principles of magnetic navigation and would align to the external magnetic field and a rotating magnetic
background. Secondly, we mainly focus on reviewing magnetic field would generate rotating movements of the magnetic micro-
control systems with classification and analyses in three types. robot. Generally speaking, the magnetic moment controls the
Thirdly, we provide mechanical design of spherical permanent orientation of the micro-robot, and the magnetic force controls
magnet system and point out the challenges and open problems. the total force acting on the micro-robot, thereby controlling the
We finally conclude this paper. position of the micro-robot (Xu et al., 2015).

BACKGROUND Historical Background

In the medical field, micro-robots can not only assist doctors
Principles of Magnetic Navigation to complete surgical operations, but also achieve high precision
Essence of Magnetic Phenomena When micro-robots and quality of surgery while avoiding damage (Yang and Zhang,
embedded with permanent magnets or containing magnetic 2020a). The micro-robot can not only improve the safety of the
materials are placed in a magnetic field, they interact with operation and eliminate side effects, but also greatly shorten the
external magnetic fields (Abbott et al., 2020). Generally speaking, treatment time. The application of micro-robots in the medical
the micro-robot is called magnetic medium and can respond field can also relieve strained medical resources and reduce the
to external magnetic field. Whether it is the magnetic field psychological pressure of doctors during surgery. For driving
generated by the electromagnet or permanent magnet, the methods of micro-robots, they have experienced the following
essence of the magnetic phenomenon comes from the current or (Kortschack et al., 2003). One is the traditional endoscope,
the moving charge (Zhang et al., 2017). which is inserted into the body directly from the outside by

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

the flexible tube guide. The second is gastrointestinal peristalsis- orientation and the actual orientation of the micro-robot,
promoting micro-robot. The third is the self-creeping micro- especially when the position is known. It can be scaled down to
robot, which promotes movements of the micro-robot in the control micro devices in optical microscopes and spiral magnetic
body fluid through the earthworm-type self-perturbation mode. cursors. This single magnetic control system can be equivalent to
The above several driving methods contain the disadvantages the foundation of a complex system, and can be innovated and
of human damage, low efficiency, non-real-time control and modified in different ways to achieve new applications. However,
low flexibility, and external magnetic field driving methods for surgical operations that require greater force, it is not the
that can avoid these shortcomings have gradually begun to best choice.
develop. The magnetic field driving method was first developed In 2012, Diller et al. (2012) have made new progress in
from stationary electromagnet control systems and permanent the research of controlling multiple magnetic micro-robots.
magnet control systems. The former uses a combination of a These magnetic micro-robots are called Mag-µBots, each of
variety of fixed electromagnetic coils to control micro-robots, the which is within 1 mm in size. The external magnetic field
typical ones are OctoMag (Kummer et al., 2010) and MiniMag system provides magnetic braking, as shown in Figure 1C (Diller
(Kratochvil et al., 2014) systems. The latter generally utilizes et al., 2012). Different from 8 electromagnetic coils of OctoMag
movable external permanent magnets to form a magnetic field (Kummer et al., 2010), this magnetic control system consists of
to control the movement of the micro-robot. The external six independent air-core electromagnetic coils, with a camera
permanent magnet is generally fixed on the robotic arm. After for top-view vision feedback and a microscope lens on the
a period of development of these magnetic control systems, top, forming a 20 × 20 mm working space in the center of
a new type of control system appeared, which is the mobile the coils system. The researchers conducted experiments on
electromagnet control system. This system is a combination a set of Mag-µBots with different geometric shapes and a
of the above two, combining the strengths of the two control set of Mag-µBots with the same geometric shapes. Since the
systems, and it can use movable electromagnetic coils to form an response of each robot to the control signal of the braking
external magnetic field (Chen et al., 2017). Through the above magnetic field is unique, by learning the speed response of
development, these three basic branches of magnetic control each micro-robot to the control signal of different frequencies,
systems applied to the micro-robot are formed. each Mag-µBots can be independently one-dimensional and
two-dimensional controlled on a non-special operating surface.
TAXONOMY Even Mag-µBots of the same shape have slight differences.
Experiments show that at present, only independent control
So far, many papers have introduced different magnetic of up to three micro-robots can be achieved. If people want
control systems. Through our own summary and analyses, to perform heterogeneous control of more than three Mag-
we have simply divided them into three types: the stationary µBots, it also needs to reduce the coupling between robots
electromagnet control system, the permanent magnet control and improve the accuracy of learning speed response. The
system and the mobile electromagnet control system. Partial researchers will make further efforts in path planning and
existing magnetic control systems are reviewed. control algorithms in the next step to achieve the three-
dimensional control of Mag-µBots and complete the task of
Stationary Electromagnet Control Systems manipulating objects.
In 2010, Kummer et al. (2010) proposed a stationary OctoMag only shows one combination of eight
electromagnetic system called OctoMag for 5-degree-of- electromagnetic coils, and there are also other control systems
freedom (DOF) wireless micro-manipulation, as shown in for the combination of eight electromagnetic coils. In 2013,
Figure 1A. This system is designed to be used in retinal surgery. Diller et al. (2013) proposed the independent control of
Because retinal vein cannulation is very difficult, in order to multiple magnetic micro-robots in three dimensions using
achieve safer and more advanced control, the micro-robot freely electromagnetic coils system for implementation. Researchers
controlled by the OctoMag system has become a breakthrough. determine that, to achieve independent control of multiple
The OctoMag system uses a linear representation of multiple micro-robots in 3D space, it is necessary to design micro-
magnetic fields in a complex non-uniform magnetic field to robots with different structures and create unique phase lags
perform 5-DOF magnetic control of the micro-robot, including for each micro-device. They use micro-robots with different
3-DOF position and 2-DOF pointing orientation. They selected structural geometry or magnetic properties to perform different
eight fixed electromagnets to form the entire OctoMag system, movements. In this regard, they use a magnetic control
while the upper group of electromagnets rotated 45 degrees system composed of eight electromagnetic coils to complete
relative to the lower group. OctoMag electromagnetic coils the magnetic manipulation. The system structure is shown in
modeling combination configuration is shown in Figure 1B Figure 1D (Diller et al., 2013), and the eight electromagnetic coils
(Pourkand and Abbott, 2018). The electromagnet system is also are diagonal-distributed. The specific modeling configuration
equipped with a cooling system around each coil. The operator of the electromagnetic coils is shown in Figure 1E (Pourkand
can adjust the position using only visual feedback without and Abbott, 2018). The system is imaged by two cameras and a
position feedback. The system only implements open-loop microscope lens, and the current input is monitored by a remote
orientation control and closed loop position control. However, computer platform as well as Hall Effect sensors. Through the
the system can accurately control the error between the expected external magnetic manipulation of the experiment, multiple

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FIGURE 1 | (A) OctoMag control system has eight fixed electromagnetic coils for 5-DOF control (Kummer et al., 2010). (B) Model of electromagnetic coils
configuration of OctoMag shows that the upper electromagnets have rotated 45 degrees relative to the lower electromagnets (Pourkand and Abbott, 2018). (C) Six
electromagnetic coils setup with a camera for top-view vision feedback and a microscope lens on the top for controlling Mag-µBots (Diller et al., 2012) (D) Eight
electromagnetic coils system to control multiple micro-robots with different structures (Diller et al., 2013) (E) Model of electromagnetic coils configuration shows that
8-electromagnetic coils are distributed diagonally (Pourkand and Abbott, 2018).

micro-robots with different structures in the fluid can be can achieve indirect magnetic manipulation under a periodic
subjected to different magnetic forces and can be independently magnetic field, which has huge research potential.
controlled. However, this method still has defects. When the In 2021, Zheng et al. (2021) designed ionic shape-morphing
number of controlled micro-robots increases, the control ability micro-robotic end-effectors (ISMEs) that can be used for
will be weakened. environmental targeting, releasing and sampling, and have a
In 2019, Li et al. (2020) designed a new type of micro- gripping motion. The magnetic nanoparticles are encapsulated
robot. This robot has two pseudopods, similar to human feet, in an alginate monolayer, and the ISMEs are controlled by
which can be alternately lifted and moved. In this experiment, the external magnetic field to reach the target position. This
the electromagnetic system is used to manipulate the micro- magnetic system is controllable and provides the ISMEs with a
robot so that it can complete magnetic walking. As shown in rotating magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field. The system
Figure 2A (Li et al., 2020), this magnetic field control system has consists of 8 electromagnetic coils with DT4 cores, which are
the same structure as the coil system proposed by Diller et al. distributed diagonally. The structure of this coil system is the
(2013), with 8 electromagnetic coils distributed diagonally. The same as that used by Diller et al. (2013) and Li et al. (2020), as
specific modeling configuration of this electromagnetic coils is shown in Figure 2D (Zheng et al., 2021). The specific modeling
shown in Figure 1E (Pourkand and Abbott, 2018). The magnetic configuration of this electromagnetic coils is shown in Figure 1E
system with the same coil structure can carry out the research (Pourkand and Abbott, 2018). However, the controlled micro-
of a variety of micro-robots, but robots with different structures robots and the completed operations are different, and the details
and shapes have different requirements for the magnetic field and control characteristics of the magnetic control system also
provided by the control system. This 8-electromagnetic coil have differences. A micro-camera and a lens with a focal length of
system provides a periodic magnetic field, and the oscillation 25 mm constitute an imaging system and the current of each coil
waveform, amplitude and frequency of the magnetic field are is individually controlled through an amplifier. Due to the pH
designed in advance according to the planned path. The micro- change in the liquid environment and the adjustment of the ionic
robot will alternately lift its two feet to produce displacement solution, the ISMEs achieve contraction and grip, and internal
according to its own gravity and friction in this magnetic field, as magnetic balls are separated from the ISMEs to complete the drug
shown in Figure 2B (Li et al., 2020). Non-magnetic objects can be delivery. Micro-magnetic spheres can be excreted from the body
manipulated indirectly through magnetic walking by the robot, through excretion function, and will not produce toxicity. ISMEs
such as indirect pushing of non-magnetic microbeads, as shown can also be propelled and navigated through internal magnetic
in Figure 2C (Li et al., 2020). This shows that the micro-robot nanoparticles to achieve sampling functions. Researchers believe

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FIGURE 2 | (A) External electromagnetic system has 8 electromagnetic coils distributed diagonally to control a micro robot with two pseudopods to perform magnetic
walking (Li et al., 2020). (B) The process of magnetic walking of a micro-robot by alternately raising the left and right feet (Li et al., 2020) (C) Indirect pushing of
non-magnetic microbeads (Li et al., 2020) (D) Octupole magnetic system provides magnetic drive in rotating field and gradient field to ISMEs (Zheng et al., 2021).

that these ISMEs have great potential in medical applications consists of three nested cubic electromagnetic coils and magnetic
such as targeted therapy and precise tissue diagnosis. ball inside. The assembled omnidirectional electromagnet is
In 2014, Kratochvil et al. (2014) proposed a hemispherical shown in Figure 3B (Petruska and Abbott, 2014). The radius
magnetic steering system for 5-DOF control, called MiniMag. of the magnetic ball is 50 mm, and it is easy to be magnetized.
The MiniMag system is similar to the previous OctoMag system Omnimagnet provides independent inputs for the three helical
and consists of eight stationary electromagnetic coils with soft coils to generate magnetic fields and magnetic field gradients at
magnetic cores (Kummer et al., 2010). OctoMag system is mainly every point in the workspace. A single Omnimagnet can achieve
for the operation of the system with a larger working distance, 3-DOF control. By adding a cooling system to this system for
while MiniMag is mainly for the smaller, using a 10 mm spherical valid application, as the size increases, the dipole strength will
working space, as shown in the Figure 3A (Kratochvil et al., also increase. In this regard, the researchers also pointed out
2014). MiniMag restricts the position of eight electromagnets that combining Omnimagnets of different shapes can form more
in a fixed hemisphere. Since the tilted electromagnets occupy complex magnetic control systems to achieve different degrees
a hemispherical shape, it can be physically combined directly of freedom control, such as the aforementioned OctoMagnet
with the microscope system. The thickness of the MiniMag coil (Kummer et al., 2010) and MiniMagnet (Kratochvil et al., 2014).
is thinner and the working space is larger than OctoMag, and It is undeniable that Omnimagnet has broad prospects for future
the system uses the center point setting in the workspace to magnetron applications.
lower the need for closed-loop feedback when the workspace In 2017, Yu et al. (2017) proposed to use an external dynamic
is small. MiniMag is essentially another form of OctoMag. magnetic field to decompose paramagnetic nanoparticle chains.
All eight electromagnets are in the linear limit and can be The magnetic field is pre-designed and the whole process is
modeled separately. MiniMag system can be applied under an controllable. The decomposed chains reduce the chance of
optical microscope and perform cell manipulation under high- recombination by increasing the distance between each other,
resolution optics. The system has advantages in controlling making the decomposition process more stable. At the same
micro-robots with different modes in a tiny space. time, the length and speed of the chain can be adjusted in
In 2014, Petruska and Abbott (2014) proposed an a restricted environment. The shortened chain facilitates the
omnidirectional electromagnet capable of controlling effective transportation of goods through narrow areas and
the generation of dipole fields, called Omnimagnet. The achieves controllable performance. The magnetic field control
omnidirectional electromagnet combines the real-time control system used in the experiment is shown in Figure 3C (Yu et al.,
of the traditional electromagnetic system and the rotating dipole 2017). It is composed of three-axis Helmholtz electromagnetic
field of the permanent magnet to generate a magnetic field with a coils, and is equipped with a PointGrey camera on the top
variable dipole moment, avoiding motion damage. Omnimagnet to record the experiment and three Maxon motor controllers

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

FIGURE 3 | (A) MiniMag control system restricts 8 electromagnetic coils in a fixed hemisphere for the control of micro robots with a small working distance from the
system (Kratochvil et al., 2014). (B) Omnimagnet control system has three nested cubic electromagnetic coils and magnetic ball inside (Petruska and Abbott, 2014).
(C) Three-axis Helmholtz electromagnetic coils system with a PointGrey camera and three Maxon motor controllers are used for generating the dynamic magnetic
fields (Yu et al., 2017). (D) 3D helmholtz coils system with two cameras for controlling CTM (Su et al., 2020).

as amplifiers, which can provide rotating magnetic field in the is 90 × 90 × 40 mm. However, the function and structure of
workspace. The magnetic field achieves decomposition through the controlled robot are different from the above mentioned
the diffusion and fragmentation of the particle chain, and the system (Yu et al., 2017). Some characteristics of the magnetic
assembly process can also be carried out reversibly. Researchers field, including current configuration, imaging components,
use the phase lag model to verify the experimental results, which and control algorithms are also different. The magnetic field
is of great significance to the development of micro-robot groups. system has two cameras to feed back the control picture to the
In 2020, Su et al. (2020) proposed a soft cruciform thin-film monitoring screen in time. The CTM controlled by this magnetic
micro-robot (CTM), which has two motion modes, jellyfish-like system moves in an S-shaped trajectory, and the moving speed
mode and forklift mode. Since the micro-robot is soft, it will is proportional to the frequency of the magnetic field, and also
reduce the damage to the cells and molecules during operation. proportional to the length and thickness of the robot’s legs.
CTM is magnetic and controlled by an external magnetic field. Experiments show that the weight of objects that CTM can carry
As shown in Figure 3D (Su et al., 2020), the control system is 10 times its own weight, and it has the ability and potential to
is composed of 3D Helmholtz coils, which is the same as deliver drugs to target locations in the medical field.
the coil system structure used in the previous decomposition In 2018, Salmanipour and Diller (2018) proposed an 8-DOF
of paramagnetic nanoparticle chains (Yu et al., 2017). The remote actuation of small magnetic mechanisms. Most magnetic
orthogonal combination of three pairs of coils provides a precise field control systems have achieved 5-DOF or 6-DOF control.
and controllable external magnetic field and the working space Based on the premise that the external magnetic field is uniform

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

in the working space, the researchers analyze the magnetic field coil is calculated separately, and superimposed using a linear
components from a single point in the working space and adjust method. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic coil also has its specific
the magnetic control signal. But in this work, Salmanipour limitations. Awaited to Joule heating when the power is turned
and Diller showed that under certain conditions, the highest on, the temperature of coils will increase, and a cooling scheme
independent 8-degree-of-freedom control can be achieved. In is usually required. However, because of conservation of energy,
the magnetic micro-robot system, through the derivation of the the cooling scheme will cause the temperature of the working
formula concept, the input of the system is always the same 8×1 environment to rise, which will influence the control of the
vector. The maximum number of independent outputs cannot robot and cause errors. In addition, owing to the relatively large
be >8 inputs. A simple system is designed to verify up to 8-DOF distance between the field source and the controlled object,
for remote controlling. The proof mechanism system includes 7 electromagnetic coils should provide a strong magnetic field,
cubic permanent magnets, and each permanent magnet can only which will cause poor flexibility and difficulties in performing
move a small distance along one or two axes, with a total of 8- a large-scale operation. Increasing the volume of the system is
DOF, as shown in Figure 4A (Salmanipour and Diller, 2018). usually by changing the size, number or distribution structure
To control eight items, a magnetic drive system composed of of coils, which will affect the input of the current, and the
8 electromagnetic coils is designed. Eight electromagnetic coils input calculation model will have to be re-planned, thereby
with different directions are placed around the workspace to affecting the control function of the entire system. At the same
independently control the current input, as shown in Figure 4B time, once the cored electromagnet reaches saturation, the above
(Salmanipour and Diller, 2018). In this work, researchers have input relationship will become non-linear, which will affect the
verified the maximum possible DOF is 8, and designed an 8-DOF modeling and control of the coil (Yang and Zhang, 2020b).
millimeter-level magnetic mechanism to verify the capability. But
after all, this is just a conceptual theoretical verification. They Permanent Magnet Control Systems
believe that future work will focus on applying the theory to the In 2005, Kim et al. (2008) designed a capsule endoscope control
magnetic control of micro-robots to express practicality. system, which was controlled by a single external permanent
In 2018, Ongaro et al. (2019) proposed an electromagnetic magnet. This system has one capsule endoscope, a 2-DOF rotator,
control device. The system can independently control the same a sensor, a mechanical rod that moves at a right angle, an
and distinct micro-robots in 3D space with 6 degrees of freedom, operating platform, and an external computer control platform.
which is called BatMag. Compared with OctoMag (Kummer The permanent-magnet steering device is shown in Figure 5A
et al., 2010) and MiniMag (Kratochvil et al., 2014), BatMag (Kim et al., 2008). The magnetic field generated by the external
intuitively increases to 6-DOF control. Researchers use combined permanent magnet acts on the permanent magnet in the capsule,
electromagnetic coils to generate a strong magnetic field and a and reflects the received magnetic force and space through the
magnetic field gradient, which can form the interaction force Hall sensor signal transmitted back. By moving the mechanical
of gravity. BatMag is finally designed as a combination of nine rod, the external permanent magnet can be moved in three
stationary electromagnetic coils and the inner core of every directions relative to the human body. The external permanent
coil is a permanent magnet. The overall system is shown in magnet also can be rotated around the axis by a 2-DOF rotator.
Figure 4C (Ongaro et al., 2019). A thermal management method An external computer control platform is used to estimate the
was designed, using a water-cooling system to transfer the heat capsule direction and determine the path, thereby controlling the
from the coil to the aluminum radiator. Meanwhile, researchers movement and rotation of the external permanent magnet. The
have developed and verified related algorithms that can be external magnetic field control system can carry out unlimited
followed of the micro-robot. Utilizing the inhomogeneity of movement and rotation of the capsule endoscope. At the same
the generated magnetic field, BatMag system can independently time, researchers pointed out that using this system for magnetic
control different and identical micro-robots with maintaining control can enable the free capsule endoscope to advance in the
flexibility and high controllability. It is also considered to have form of jitter.
significant potential in controlling clinically compatible imaging In 2009, Stereotaxis, Inc., St. Louis, MO (Carpi and
applications or controlling micro-robot clusters. Pappone, 2009b) produced a magnetic field control system
For the stationary electromagnet control system, the static called Stereotaxis Niobe. This system has two large permanent
electromagnetic coils can control the field strength by quickly magnets and the operating table is located between the two
changing the coil current, and freely turn on or off the permanent magnets. A fluoroscope scanner is installed above
exterior magnetic field, which has certain advantages. The the operating table, and a monitoring screen is installed
electromagnetic system has sufficient flexibility in the controlling on one side. Two permanent magnets are installed on the
process and can change the magnetic field through diverse controllable robotic arm, and the control axis is on the same
current inputs. Under the condition of unsaturation, the input straight line. Stereotaxis Niobe magnetic control system can
relationship between the magnetic field and the current is be seen in Figure 5B (Carpi and Pappone, 2009b). Using
linear (Lee et al., 2004). It is worth noting that hollow-core digital imaging technology, the position of micro-devices in
electromagnets are more conducive to model and control than the body can be observed on the monitoring screen in real
core electromagnets, but the magnetic field generated is relatively time. The two permanent magnets can independently rotate
weak. In the case of multiple coils, the combined magnetic field by themselves without limitation in the rotation angles, and
can be decoupled. The magnetic field generated by a single a relatively uniform magnetic field is generated. At present,

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FIGURE 4 | (A) Seven permanent magnets proof mechanism system is used to prove that the maximum 8-DOF magnetic control can be achieved (Salmanipour and
Diller, 2018). (B) Magnetic field generation prototype for 8-DOF control, consisting of four inner coils and four outer coils (Salmanipour and Diller, 2018) (C) BatMag
control system has 9 electromagnetic coils for 6-DOF control (Ongaro et al., 2019).

FIGURE 5 | (A) Single permanent magnet device to perform 2-DOF rotation of the external permanent magnet through the joint unit and move the external permanent
magnet in the three XYZ directions through cartesian coordinate robot (Kim et al., 2008) (B) Stereotaxis Niobe magnetic control system, including two independently
rotating permanent magnets (Carpi and Pappone, 2009b) (C) External permanent magnet control system in which permanent magnet is moved by a mechanical arm
with 6-DOF (Ciuti et al., 2010a).

the Stereotaxis Niobe system (Carpi and Pappone, 2009a) has provide medical feedback. The overall control platform of
been used in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular the magnetic manipulation robot is shown Figure 5C (Ciuti
diseases, especially the manipulation of intravascular magnetic et al., 2010a). In the next paper, Ciuti et al. (2010a) also
catheters, and is also making great efforts to the development of conducted animal experiments, which further proved the
magnetic capsules. superiority of this magnetic control system and improved the
In 2009, Ciuti et al. (2010b) proposed a capsule endoscopy clinical feasibility. However, this method still has flaws that
method, which uses an external permanent magnet to achieve cannot be ignored. Firstly, due to the size of the camera
steering. The laboratory uses a robotic arm system to install a in the capsule, the volume of the capsule will increase,
single permanent magnet. Compared with the sole permanent affecting the swallowing and controlling work. Secondly, after
magnet device proposed by Kim et al. (2008), this robotic the capsule entering the body, it needs a small driving force
arm has 6 degrees of freedom and can more effectively move to exercise.
the permanent magnet. Doctors need to use the human- In 2012, Mahoney and Abbott (2012, 2013, 2016) and Popek
machine interface (HMI) to accurately control the mechanical et al. (2013) introduced a capsule endoscope that uses a single
arm, displaying the actual examination on the screen to rotating permanent magnet for 3D manipulation. When a

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

permanent magnet rotates around a fixed axis, each point in strength and gradient strength, and generate minimum heat, as
space has its own magnetic field vector and rotates around shown in Figure 6D (Ryan and Diller, 2017). The system only
its own fixed axis at the same time. Built on the above, the needs to control the external permanent magnets for rotational
researchers chose a single rotating permanent magnet to generate movement without moving parts, which can be safer and simpler.
an uneven magnetic field. Most of the aforementioned single The system consists of eight permanent magnets and each
rotating permanent magnet (RPM) need to restrict magnetically permanent magnet can independently rotate from each other,
actuated tools (MAT) to two fixed positions in the radial and so as to control the movement of the micro-robot in three-
axial directions. It will bring MAT a working dead end and limit dimensional space. The motor can be placed away from the
the physical location of the PRM, which may collide with the magnet, so that the heat in the working space can be reduced. Not
patient, resulting in clinical harm. The non-uniform magnetic only that, Ryan and Diller also proposed that the angular position
field will generate a magnetic force on the device, allowing PRM of each magnet can be set so that the magnetic field and magnetic
to brake at any position, and MAT can also be operated in any field gradient can be 0, which is equivalent to turning off the
position. In practical applications, the position of the PRM must external magnetic field to solve the shortcomings of the previous
be adapted to the movement position of the MAT to maintain permanent magnet systems. The system weighs the difference
synchronization. The magnetic field generated by the PRM is between the magnetic field and the force measurement unit, and
modeled by a point-dipole model at the position vector of the uses the gradient descent method to find the corresponding local
MAT relative to the PRM, and the magnetic field matrix can minimum value for feedback control. This driving system with 8
be obtained. Since the matrix is reversible and the rotation axis rotating permanent magnets can achieve a high level of control
of MAT actuation can be given, through a series of formula even in the case of limited working space or strictly restricted
calculations, researchers can use this reverse solution to get the positions. However, it is inevitable that this system cannot drive
fixed rotation axis of the PRM. This closed loop method can high-frequency magnetic fields and cannot arbitrarily turn off the
determine the direction of the PRM at any location. This single magnetic field throughout the workspace.
rotating permanent magnet control system is shown in Figure 6A For permanent magnet control systems, the magnetic field
(Mahoney and Abbott, 2012). This makes this system break the can be produced without input power, thereby avoiding heat
limitation that MAT can only be rotated in a fixed direction, so generation in the working environment. As the source of the
that the MAT can be manipulated at any position to work. external magnetic field, the permanent magnet can generate
In previous permanent magnet control systems, the problem greater magnetic field strength and gradient strength, which
of motion singularity is prone to occur (Kim et al., 2008; can increase the efficiency of controlling the work of the robot.
Carpi and Pappone, 2009a,b; Ciuti et al., 2010a,b; Mahoney Moreover, it can generate enough magnetic field strength within
and Abbott, 2012, 2013, 2016; Popek et al., 2013). Because the short distance between the field source and the controlled
permanent magnets rely on the movement of the robot arm, object, and the flexibility is strong (Yang and Zhang, 2020b).
there will be joint freedom and working space limitations. In However, although the mobile permanent magnet can move in
2017, Wright et al. (2017) proposed a spherical permanent a larger workspace, the strength of the magnetic field generated
magnet braking system, which can remotely control various by the permanent magnet itself is constant. To change the
magnetic micro-robots with five degrees of freedom. Three magnetic field, it is necessary to accurately design the permanent
omniwheels with central axes orthogonal to each other can magnet movement route and complex algorithms. Not only that,
control a spherical permanent magnet to rotate in any directions. permanent magnet systems are generally limited by the degree
Since the permanent magnet is spherical, the generated dipole of freedom of the joint of the robot arm, so the flexibility is
field is symmetrical about the radial axis, and there is no main affected. Moreover, the permanent magnet cannot turn off the
inertial direction. Each position can maintain isotropy, which field source, meaning that it is always in the “on” state, which has
can perfectly address the problem of motion singularity. The certain safety risks. Permanent magnets may experience magnetic
prototype of the main body spherical permanent magnet is field attenuation, which can cause harm to patients and medical
shown in Figure 6B (Wright et al., 2017). The hybrid EKF personnel (Sendoh et al., 2002).
algorithm is now used to linearize this non-linear system,
and then Kalman filtering is performed through a series of
interference measurements to estimate the state of the dynamic Mobile Electromagnet Control Systems
system for closed loop control. The following figure shows the In 2013, Véron et al. (2013a) proposed a unique electromagnetic
overall assembly prototype, with a total length of 212.3 mm and control system. Unlike the preceding stationary electromagnetic
a total width of 181.3 mm, as shown in Figure 6C (Wright et al., coils, movable coils combination was used in this kind of
2017). The SAMM system can effectively demonstrate the remote systems. The purpose is to combine some of the benefits
control of the micro-robot in the lumen, and prove that the of the above-mentioned stationary electromagnet system and
singularity of movement and the limitation of working space are moving permanent magnets, increasing the flexibility of the
basically eliminated. system to make easier control. This system consists of three
In 2017, Ryan and Diller (2017) proposed a new magnetic movable hollow-core coils, each capable of rotating around a
control system. The system uses eight rotating permanent vertical axis. Each coil can independently control its peculiar
magnets to control the micro-robot remotely and accurately in direction and current, and measure the position of the capsule
five degrees of freedom. And it can increase the magnetic field through the camera. The prototype of the system is shown

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

FIGURE 6 | (A) Single rotating permanent magnet control system that rotates around a fixed rotation axis (Mahoney and Abbott, 2012) (B) Main configuration of
magnetic ball in SAMM, 4 ball screws prevent the magnetic ball from moving and three omniwheels control the magnetic ball to rotate freely (Wright et al., 2017) (C)
Prototype of SAMM system as the end-effector is mounted mounted to the tool frame of robotic (Wright et al., 2017) (D) Eight independently rotating permanent
magnets control system (Ryan and Diller, 2017).

in Figure 7A (Véron et al., 2013a). The micro-robot can be and enables micro-robots to move in three-dimensional space.
controlled in a plane. However, researchers have discovered that Array of three mobile coils is mounted on two symmetrical
when manipulating the movable coils for magnetic field control, moving frames, each frame containing three coils. According to
there will be movement singularities. In November of the same the function, the coils are divided into stepping coils and ring-
year, Véron et al. (2013b) published another paper to conduct shaped non-stepping coils. The former has an iron core and
a more in-depth study. It is known that this system is prone the latter has an empty core. Each coil can rotate around its
to meet singularity, and due to insufficient model conditions, working space, and we can independently control the magnetic
the singularity is not easy to be detected. Researchers chose field generated by each coil to form an uneven magnetic
to list the electromagnetic manipulation matrix by calculation, field. In addition to mobile coils, BigMag device also has
compare and calculate the angle between the columns to simulate automatic inserters and cameras. The frame system is shown
the conversion relationship between the current and magnetic in Figure 7B (Sikorski et al., 2017), with 5-DOF control in the
force. These angles can be used to identify the singularity of 3D manipulation space. It can model each coil, and design a
the trajectory, so as to improve the control of the mobile mathematical model to grasp the magnetic field as well as coils’
electromagnet control system in order to better plan the position changes at each location in the workspace, thereby
trajectory. Nevertheless, this system can only make the micro- accurately controlling the micro-robot. However, the experiment
robot work in 2D space. also shows that when the system inputs a higher current, some
In 2017, Sikorski et al. (2017, 2019a) proposed a 3D magnetic non-linear condition will appear, which is a problem that needs
control system, including three movable and three stationary to be solved in the next step.
electromagnetic coils, called BigMag. The difference between Yang et al. (2019, 2020c) designed a mobile electromagnetic
BigMag and the movable coils system proposed by Véron et al. control system capable of moving coils in parallel, controlling
(2013a,b) in 2013 is that it breaks the limitation of planar motion the micro-robot to brake with six degrees of freedom in

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

FIGURE 7 | (A) A magnetic system consisting of 3 hollow-core coils that can rotate around their respective vertical axes (Véron et al., 2013a) (B) BigMag control
system, including three movable and three stationary electromagnetic coils (Sikorski et al., 2017) (C) DeltaMag control system, including three symmetrically
distributed moving coils (Yang et al., 2019); (D) ARMM control system in which a single cored coil is moved by a mechanical arm with 6-DOF (Sikorski et al., 2019b).

three-dimensional space, which is called DeltaMag system. Three The system provides a large spherical working space with a radius
coils in DeltaMag are symmetrically distributed and can generate of 1.3 meters. At the same time, it can provide a large magnetic
any magnetic field in three-dimensional space, as shown in field and can be shut off in time to ensure safety. The ARMM
the Figure 7C (Yang et al., 2019). DeltaMag also has a camera magnetic control system is shown in Figure 7D (Sikorski et al.,
positioned on the plate, which can track the micro-robot in real 2019b). According to the maximum load capacity of the robot
time. Three coils are controlled in closed loop based on computer arm in the ARMM system, the size of the electromagnetic coil
vision. It is also necessary to establish accurate mathematical must be designed within certain limitations. Researchers design
modeling of each coil, and the movement of the micro-device the electromagnetic coil through the function optimization, so
changes with the parallel mechanism. Every time the micro- that the coil mass and volume are optimized within limitations,
robot moves, the magnetic field needs to be updated again, so and the magnetic field can be maximized. Using Hall sensors
planning the movement of DeltaMag is very important. They combined with real-time updated iterative maps to solve the
also proposed a triple-loop visual servoing scheme, which is iron core saturation problem, and through error experiments,
used to achieve both mechanism tracking and swimmer steering. the system can still accurately accomplish the work in the coil
The advantage of DeltaMag is that it can achieve high accurate saturation state. At the same time, this non-linear iterative
magnetic manipulation in large workspace with small current, technique can also calculate the field strength and magnetic field
which can save energy. This is because it can move to the vicinity gradient required by the generation system to update the current
of the micro-robot and move along with it. This system shows input and better control the micro-robot.
excellent potential for gastrointestinal endoscopy and vascular In the development process, we pointed out that when a larger
catheter testing. working space is required, if the stationary coils are redesigned,
Sikorski et al. (2019b) proposed a magnetic field control the coil size needs to be increased and the weight increased, which
system, which mainly conducts non-contact manipulation of will increase the burden and cost of the system. Researchers
in-vivo micro-robots, and is simply referred to as the ARMM found that the combination of electromagnetic coils can break
system. The main body of the ARMM system is a single cored the limitations of the above problems, trying to combine the
coil, which is fixed on a robot arm that can move with 6-DOF. stationary electromagnet control system with the permanent

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

magnet control to form mobile electromagnet control system Design Details

(Sikorski et al., 2019b). The mobile electromagnet control system In order to ensure the permanent magnet close to the robot
tries to absorb the advantages of the above two systems to system, we simplified the upper cover part and designed the Hall
avoid shortcomings, with sufficient flexibility, and ability of sensors under the permanent magnet. The upper cover is only
turning on/off magnetic field. Not only that, compared with composed of a detachable plate and three ball screws. The total
the stationary electromagnet system, the mobile electromagnet length of the ball screws is 10 mm, which can be screwed into the
system can shorten the distance from the field source to the main structure. The three balls are tangent to the magnetic ball on
controlled micro-robot, while reducing the heat generation in the a plane. The top view of the upper cover is shown in Figure 8A.
workspace. However, it is still a challenge to design the precise The outside of the structure’s main body has three planes with
movement route of the mobile electromagnet system. the same angle, and can provide bearing surfaces for three wheels
Contrary to the above methods, we partially change the with a diameter of 25 mm and six vertical bearing seats. Three
SAMM system (Mahoney and Abbott, 2013). The bearing seat, external wheels are tangent to the magnetic ball. The tangent
as an example, is changed to vertical, the motor is changed to 28 points of the three wheels of this design are equally divided into
stepping motors, and the structure size and volume are reduced. three sections. Since one of the wheels is still placed horizontally,
This change is capable to make it better used in laboratory it can control the spherical permanent magnet to rotate in any
microscope, observe the motion of the micro-robot on lens, and direction according to the speed tangential difference. The cross-
explore the deficiency of magnetic control system under motion, section of the core structure is shown in Figure 8B. On the
which is conducive to ameliorate it in the next step. The explicit other side of the central axis of the wheel, a 28 stepper motor
method is described in Proposed method. is connected by a threaded coupling. The type of the motor is
28BYG250CK-SASSML-0071, which is small in size and suitable
for the size configuration of the structure.
PROPOSED METHOD Since the system is at an inverted state during controlling, this
requires the lower cover fixed with screws. Six Hall sensors are
Based on the summary and analysis of the above research status, designed under the magnetic ball, loaded through the cube slot,
we are extremely interested in the spherical permanent magnet and fixed on the circular tray, as a whole. A ball screw with a
control system proposed by Wright et al. (2017). We believe total length of 10 mm is also embedded in the middle of the lower
that the SAMM system can not only generate a strong magnetic cover, and cooperates with the three ball screws in the upper
field, but also solve the problem of singularity of motion with cover to relatively fix the magnetic ball and prevent the magnetic
broad prospects. In the SAMM prototype, the overall height of ball from moving in space. The bottom view of the lower cover is
the system is 212.3 mm. Because SAMM is permanent magnet shown in Figure 8C.
control system, it can generate large magnetic field strength According to the 3D modeling design, the total length of
when the object is nearby. It can also be easy to model and the structure is 111 mm, which can control spherical permanent
control without using large current without cooling problems magnets to achieve pointing-mode control and rotating-mode
or other maintenance issues. Therefore, these advantages make control. In addition to the permanent magnet magnetic ball,
this system more suitable in the bench top experiment. In order all the remaining accessories are made of non-conductive non-
to better analyze the motion of the micro-robot under the magnetic materials as much as possible to avoid the influence of
laboratory microscope, we have made a few design changes to the magnetic field eddy currents. The total thickness does not exceed
system. By shrinking the SAMM system, it is more convenient 150 mm and the overall volume is decreased. The movement of
to control the motion of the micro-robot under the microscope the micro-robot can be controlled under the microscope stage.
and analyze the trajectory so that better pay attention to issues The overall 3D structure of the design is shown in Figure 8D.
such as control accuracy and path planning. Moreover, accurate
observations can also help optimize algorithms and improve
control accuracy and stability. This can lay a solid foundation CHALLENGES AND OPEN QUESTIONS
for the subsequent clinical trials. At this time, the spherical
permanent magnet control system is in an inverted state, and In this paper, this mechanical design is only a partial change
the overall height must not exceed 150 mm. So as to make to the SAMM system. For example, the bearing seat is replaced
the permanent magnet as close as possible to the controlled by a vertical type, the motor is replaced by 28 stepper motors,
micro-robot, it is necessary to ensure that the cover above the and the structure size and volume are reduced. These changes
mechanism is reduced. In addition, the Hall sensors must be can make it better used in laboratory microscopes to observe
not too close to the permanent magnet, otherwise the reading the movement of the micro-robot on the lens. In this way,
will overflow and signals cannot be read effectively. We use the deficiencies of the magnetic control system can be explored
SolidWorks2020 software to partially change and model the under this kind of movement and improved in the next
SAMM system. Since the main body of the article is a review, step. However, the control method and principles are still
no specific experiment was conducted. Based on the software consistent with the above paper, which cannot continue to
design, we believe that the system after design changes can be increase accuracy.
more adapted to the operation of the microscope system without Similarly, magnetic control systems still face some problems.
affecting the control performance, and has more control stability. Owing to the complexity of disciplines, controlling and

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Shao et al. Magnetic Control Systems of Micro-Robots

FIGURE 8 | (A) Top view of upper cover; (B) Cross-section of main structure; (C) Bottom view of lower cover; (D) 3D structure of design.

positioning algorithms are often challenging to achieve the of the existing spherical permanent magnet control system.
accuracy required for clinical use. It may cause delays, resulting Utilizing SolidWorks2020 software for 3D design, the final
in inaccurate positioning and prediction. Improving work thickness is 111 mm, which can be applied upside down under
efficiency, simply changing the working space under different the microscope system. After the modification of this design and
requirements, and solving the singularity of motion during the the discussion of the overall magnetic control system, we will
movement of the robot arm also need to be considered. How not just change the mechanical structure of existing system, but
to design the micro-robot more safely for working in the body, try to design new systems and control algorithm optimization in
and have the safety of the appropriate volume and materials the future.
are the corresponding challenges. If it is to be safely applied
in the clinic, the macro experiments in the laboratory are not
sufficient. Each magnetic field control system should be verified
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
in vivo as much as possible. We believe that the next step requires The original contributions presented in the study are included
breakthroughs in several areas: optimizing the structural design in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be
and energy supply device of the control system, seeking a higher directed to the corresponding authors.
degree of freedom control, optimizing the control algorithm
of the magnetic control system and the positioning system of
the micro-robot, solving the problem of movement singularity, AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
seeking suitable materials, and completing in-vivo experiments
as much as possible, etc. The mobile electromagnet system is a YS started this work and wrote the paper together with AF, CL
new type, which has many aspects that can be further studied, and ML, CL adjusted and modified part of the structure on this
such as the modeling of magnetic fields and the design of basis. The overall process was carried out under the supervision
moving paths. We also look forward to investing more work in of WZ and JS. The funding acquisition is undertaken by CL, WZ
this system. and JS. All authors contributed to the article and approved the
submitted version.
Conclusion
This paper elucidates magnetic control systems, which are FUNDING
driving systems applied to micro-robots. We classified magnetic
control systems, and reviewed some research status by three This work is part funded by the Astute2020 (Advanced
categories: stationary electromagnet control system, permanent Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies) Operation, supporting
magnet control system and mobile electromagnet control system. manufacturing companies across Wales, has been part-
Through the summary and analysis of these studies, we point funded by the European Regional Development Fund
out the advantages and shortcomings of various systems. This through the Welsh Government and the participating Higher
paper also modifies the design of the mechanical structure Education Institutions.

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this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or
link magnetic swimming robot with two vibration modes: design,
modeling and characterization. IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett. 2, 2024–2031. endorsed by the publisher.
doi: 10.1109/LRA.2017.2718104 Copyright © 2021 Shao, Fahmy, Li, Li, Zhao and Sienz. This is an open-access
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