Magnebotix AG

Address: c/o ETH Zurich Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems Tannenstrasse 3 CLA H15.2, 8092 Zurich Switzerland

Contact: Dr. David Fisher Sargent phone: +41(0)446325554 email: info@magnebotix.com www.magnebotix.com

Year of foundation: 2014

Number of employees:2

Keywords:

magnetic field generator; micromanipulation; micro-magnetic agents; wireless; non-contact; microrobotics; nanorobotics; mechanobiology

Company profile:

MagnebotiX, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, was formed in Q2 2014 as a spin-off of the ETH Zurich. Our team of world class researchers and engineers is passionate about the development and production of magnetic manipulation systems, including magnetic field generators and micromagnetic agents. With years of expertise in the field, our products support both fundamental and applied research. Taking advantage of the transmission of both power and guidance through applied magnetic fields, our systems provide wireless tools to accomplish challenging micromanipulation tasks. The agents are also used as untethered, remotely-controlled mechanical probes and for targeted cargo delivery in inaccessible places or inhospitable environments. Our products are aimed at research in micro- and nano-robotics, and for applications needing gentle, guided micromanipulation. Applications include the transport of delicate objects in solution or minimally invasive studies in mechanobiology.

Products and services:

Magnebotix produces and markets the MFG-100 & MFG-100-i magnetic field generating system developed in the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the ETH Z¸rich. The MFG system uses electromagnets with ferromagnetic cores to produce arbitrary magnetic fields and field gradients in a spherical workspace approximately 10 mm diameter. The eccentric position of the electromagnets allows free access to the working volume over a complete hemisphere, allowing it to be easily incorporated into microscope-based systems. The MFG-100 offers 5 degrees-of-freedom control and is capable of generating a wide variety of static or time-varying magnetic fields and field gradients. For nanorobotics studies the versatile MFG-100 can used to implement modes as diverse as field gradient response, stick-slip or rolling motions, and flagellar swimming. Investigation of fluid dynamics in very localized volumes is possible. Magnebotix also produces microscopic magnetic agents. Our RodBot is a wireless, mobile, rod-shaped microrobot. When it rolls in a low Reynolds number environment it generates fluid flow with a rising component ahead and a travelling vortex above itself. This flow pattern is used to transport an object to a target location using gentle fluid flow as the sole motive force. RodBots are thus ideally suited for the manipulation of small, delicate objects in solution. One application is for the harvesting of delicate protein crystals.

Our systems are also a very flexible tool for micro-mechanobiology, enabling previously impossible studies. The MFG-100-i can be easily incorporated into an inverted microscope system. Combined with high resolution optics, the MFG-100-i enables the investigation of cellular mechanics as well as 5-DOF dextrous manipulation or controlled, calibrated mechanical stimulation combined with force sensing even at sub-cellular scales.