Modeling and experiments of high speed magnetic micromanipulation at the air/liquid interface

One of the greatest challenge in microrobotics is the development of miniaturized smart surfaces for a high speed conveying and positioning of micro-objects. This paper proposes a new approach where objects are situated at the air/liquid interface and are manipulated through magnetic fields. It demonstrates that a good repeatability and a high speed can be obtained. A physical modeling is presented to analyze the dynamic behavior of the micro-object. Experiments are performed to determine the physical parameters of the model and to attest the good repeatability of the motion for an object of size 100x90x25 mu m(3). A good agreement between the physical model and the experimental measurement is demonstrated. Since the velocity of the micro-object can be 10 times higher at the air/liquid interface than in the liquid this approach represents a promising solution to design smart surfaces for a high throughput conveying of micro-objects.