Achievement

IGERT student Art Mahoney has developed a method to control magnetic helical microrobots and magnetic capsule endoscopes using a single rotating-permanent-magnet (RPM) manipulator. He has shown that, by rotating the permanent magnet with a specific nonconstant trajectory, he can cause the usually attractive magnetic force to be converted into a lateral pushing force that can contribute to the microrobot’s propulsion. The technology has the potential to fundamentally change the nature of how colonoscopies are done. A patent has been filed on the invention, and multiple journal and conference papers have been published and submitted. IGERT student Katie Miller has developed a sensor array located inside the capsule that wirelessly transmits the capsule’s state based on the dynamic magnetic field. Electrical Engineering professor Thomas Schmid has been co-advising Katie, and has enabled Katie to realize capsule-endoscope prototypes for her experiments.