Model Predictive Control of a Magnetically Guided Rolling Microrobot

Abstract

In this work, we present a model predictive control (MPC) approach to the motion control of a nonholonomic rolling microrobot. The mobile microrobot is designed to follow a rotating magnetic field such that it rolls on a supporting surface in a low Reynold's number liquid environment. The MPC framework takes the nonholonomic and kinematic constraints of the microrobot and the actuation limitations of the system into account for the task of trajectory tracking and obstacle avoidance. We verify our approach by presenting a simulation study and experimental results with an 8-coil electromagnetic actuation system.