Dexterous Magnetic Manipulation of Non-Magnetic Objects with Stationary Electromagnetic Dipole-Field Sources

已经开发的用于物体的非接触式磁操纵的方法通常假定这些物体包括很大一部分铁磁材料。许多工程设备不包含磁性材料，但确实包含导电材料。该奖项将支持使用固定电磁场源对非磁性但导电材料进行灵活的六自由度(6-DOF)操纵的研究。初步结果表明，涡流感应力和磁场在物体中产生的力矩可以实现这一目标，为一种全新的机器人操作机会铺平了道路。从这项研究中获得的知识有可能有助于解决人类面临的一个主要问题：轨道空间碎片。大多数太空碎片是由铝制成的：一种导电但不具磁性的材料。迫切需要制定补救战略，清除已在轨道上的碎片，并在人造物体成为新的碎片之前修复或移走它们，以保护世界人口日益依赖的快速增长的卫星数量。该奖项还将支持对研究生的培训和指导，将本科生纳入研究，并通过大学项目向K-12学生推广。本研究的目标是检验这样一个猜想，即物理建模和机器人学习技术可以结合起来，改善对存在模型的导电非磁性物体的操纵，并使用部分围绕物体的多个静止电磁旋转偶极场源来操纵没有先前模型的物体。这项研究将探索对已经存在涡流感应力-力矩模型的导电物体的最佳操纵。它还将阐明不同尺寸、壁厚和材料的导电球体上涡流感应力-力矩的通用模型，以作为其他导电物体几何形状的一阶近似。该范围还包括对系统缺乏目标对象模型并且必须从传感器观测中在线获取模型的情况的检查。最后，将通过开发六自由度中性浮力水基微重力模拟器来进行概念的实验验证。该项目由跨部门机器人基础研究计划支持，该计划由工程指导委员会(ENG)和计算机和信息科学与工程指导委员会(CEISE)联合管理和资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Methods that have been developed for non-contact magnetic manipulation of objects have typically assumed that those objects comprise a large fraction of ferromagnetic material. Many engineered devices contain no magnetic material but do contain electrically conductive material. This award will support research on dexterous six degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) manipulation of non-magnetic, but electrically conductive materials using stationary electromagnetic field sources. Preliminary results indicate that eddy current-induced forces and torques produced in the objects by the magnetic fields can be used to achieve this objective, paving way for an entirely new class of robotic manipulation opportunity. The knowledge gained in this research has the potential to contribute a solution to a major problem facing humanity: orbital space debris. Most space debris is made of aluminum: a conductive but non-magnetic material. There is a dire need for remediation strategies to remove debris already in orbit and to repair or remove human-made objects before they become new debris, to protect the fast-growing number of satellites that the world’s population has grown to rely on. This award will also support training and mentorship of graduate students, inclusion of undergraduate students in research, and outreach to K-12 students through university programs.The objective of this research is to test the conjecture that physical modeling and robot-learning techniques can be combined to improve manipulation of conductive non-magnetic objects for which a model exists, and enable manipulation of objects with no prior model, using multiple stationary electromagnetic rotating-dipole-field sources that partially surround the object. The investigation will explore the optimal manipulation of conductive objects for which a model of eddy current-induced force-torque already exists. It will also elucidate a generalized model for eddy current-induced force-torque on conductive spheres of varying size, wall thickness, and material to serve as a first-order approximation for other conductive object geometries. The scope also includes examination of cases where the system lacks a model of the target object and must acquire one online from sensor observations. Finally, experimental validation of the concepts will be performed with the development of a 6-DOF neutral-buoyancy water-based microgravity simulator.This project is supported by the cross-directorate Foundational Research in Robotics program, jointly managed and funded by the Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.