Abstract Magnetic manipulation is increasingly used in medical applications for its potential in remote control. However, precise magnetic field generation in large workspaces remains challenging. This paper introduces an adaptive robotic end effector, the tunable magnetic end effector (TME), capable of generating spatially controllable magnetic fields. By integrating permanent magnets, the TME enables accurate magnetic control for wireless manipulation of miniaturized medical devices. Compared to standard switchable permanent magnets, TME offers enhanced field control suited for delicate operations. Finite element (FEM) simulations and experiments confirm reliable ON/OFF field switching, showing a 7.2% average error. Key design parameters (magnet size, material, and arrangement) were optimized via simulation. An artificial neural network (ANN), trained on spatial, rotational, and magnetic data, enables adaptive control. Proof-of-concept demos include steering millimeter-scale magnetic carriers, shaping magnetic soft robots, and directing magnetic nanoparticle swarms. The dual-TME configuration further expands the effective manipulation workspace and enables dynamic switching of magnetic field directions across different regions, thereby enhancing the system’s applicability.
Abolfathi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.