From Design to Realization: A Validated Pipeline for Magnetic Soft Robot Fabrication and Actuation

Abstract

Magneto-responsive soft materials have gained attention in biomedical engineering, with applications spanning robotics to regenerative medicine and drug delivery. These materials are the backbone of magnetic soft robots (MSRs), enabling customization of the magnetic domains that dictate their morphological capabilities and behavior. However, reliance on intuition to configure MSR magnetization profiles often results in a trial-and-error design approach, consuming time and resources. To address these challenges, this study optimizes an intelligent framework that uses a Covariant Matrix Adaptation Evolutionary Strategy along with a Material Point Method simulation environment to determine the magnetization profile of voxel-based MSRs to achieve ultimate performance. This study shows that unique, non-intuitive designs can be evolved. This intelligent design framework is linked to physical prototyping through additive manufacturing to realize these designs. Experimental validation of the generated designs confirms that the algorithm-based MSRs achieve a 10-fold increase in walking performance compared to the intuitively designed MSRs. This study also demonstrates the ability to improve upon both specific and random magnetization profiles and the ability to adapt to design constraints such as various modes of actuation. In general, the evolutionary algorithm, combined with physical prototyping, establishes an effective and efficient framework for the optimization of MSR behavior.