New magnetic system lets microrobots move without cameras or tracking systems

Researchers at Southern Methodist University built a triaxial Helmholtz coil system that controls microrobots without continuous visual tracking.

The instrument uses six coils in three perpendicular pairs to create a uniform magnetic field gradient that applies consistent force across the workspace.

The team calibrated the device with a triaxial magnetometer, used Tikhonov regularization for current calculations, and validated performance with COMSOL simulations and tests showing 99% agreement.

The system could operate in environments where cameras are impractical, such as opaque fluids or confined spaces, and was reported in IEEE Access.