Design and first experiments on MagPieR, the magnetic microrobot

This article deals with the design, the actuation and the control of magnetic microrobots. The interest in such microscale robots actuated by remote force fields is increasing since a large range of application fields could benefit from these small size manipulators. However major scientific challenges such as the optimization of the actuation platform, or the reduction of the adhesion between the robot and the substrate must still be overcome to perform complex micromanipulations. This article presents an example of a magnetic microrobot, MagPieR. Its design, fabrication, actuation and control are detailed. First experiments are presented, and the issues that must still be overcome are highlighted.