Simplified electromagnetic actuation system for three dimensional locomotive and drilling microrobot

Many researchers have studied and developed various types of medical microrobots using an external electromagnetic field and a permanent magnet. Most microrobots are very small and remotely controlled. Their medical applications include minimally invasive surgery (MIS), capsule endoscopy, drug delivery system (DDS), and cell based therapy. Two-dimensional (2D) or 3D locomotion of microrobots using different electromagnetic actuation (EMA) systems has been studied. In this paper, we propose a simplified EMA system having the same functions as our previous proposed EMA system. Because the simplified EMA system has a smaller coils structure, it consumes less power than the previous EMA system. First, through basic locomotive tests, we demonstrate that the microrobot using the proposed EMA system can move along a desired path in 2D and 3D space. Second, a drilling performance test was carried out on the microrobot. Finally, through quantitative comparison, it was verified that the proposed EMA system consumed 58% less power than the previous EMA system.