Controllable ‘somersault’ magnetic soft robotics

Abstract

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of magnetic soft robotics with controllable somersault linear motion. The structures consist of polymeric magnet discs embedded in an elastomer and cut into various shapes. A cyclic magnetic field induces linear motion of the actuators on an inclined acrylic surface (0–90°). We investigate the effect of friction, geometry, and mass distribution on the controllability of their trajectory. The optimized actuator exhibits controllable linear movement in a flip-and-forward manner for an extended distance of 260 mm on horizontal surfaces and 80 mm on vertical surfaces.