From Transportation to Manipulation: Transforming Magnetic Levitation to Magnetic Robotics

Abstract

Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) systems fundamentally increase the flexibility of in-machine material flow in industrial automation. Therefore, these systems enable dynamic throughput optimization, which is especially beneficial for high-mix low-volume manufacturing. Until now, MagLev installations have been used primarily for in-machine transport, while their potential for manipulation is largely unexplored. This paper introduces the 6D-Platform MagBot, a low-cost six degrees of freedom parallel kinematic that couples two movers into a composite robotic platform. Experiments show that the 6D-Platform MagBot achieves sub-millimeter positioning accuracy and supports fully autonomous pick up and drop off via a docking station, allowing rapid and repeatable reconfiguration of the machine. Relative to a single mover, the proposed platform substantially expands the reachable workspace, payload, and functional dexterity. By unifying transportation and manipulation, this work advances Magnetic Levitation towards Magnetic Robotics, enabling manufacturing solutions that are more agile, efficient, and adaptable.

Figures (10)

• Figure 1: Schematic illustration of Magnetic Robotics. The 6D-Platform MagBot couples two movers and has a docking station for reconfigurability.
• Figure 2: 6D-Platform MagBot in simulation (left) and reality (right). The platform has 6 DoF and is controlled by the x-,y-, and $\gamma$-axes of the movers.
• Figure 3: Exploded view of the 6D-Platform MagBot and visualization of the docking mechanism (top left). Components for docking, the platform's $\alpha$- and $\beta$-rotations, height, and stability are marked in different colors.
• Figure 4: 6D-Platform MagBot with variables $d_m$ (mover distance), $z_p$ (platform height), and $z_m$ (mover flight altitude). All values are in mm.
• Figure 5: Multi-axis movements of the platform using our inverse kinematics controller in TwinCAT3. The platform's actual position is measured by a VICON motion capture system, while the platform's set position is directly available in TwinCAT3.