A tubular linear motor for micro robotic applications

Linear micro motors play a key role in micro robotic systems. They can greatly simplify the drive mechanisms, which is crucial for micro systems. By using permanent magnets, much higher force-to-volume ratios can be acquired than using electromagnets and better drive performance can be obtained. This paper describes the development of a tubular permanent magnet linear motor for the actuation of micro robots. Important design criteria are established by both analytical and numerical methods. The performances of the micro motor as well as the entire actuation system are analyzed and predicted by the finite element analysis and kinetic modeling. The results show that the proposed linear motor has the quite satisfactory force capability and kinetic performance.