Design and control of a low profile electromagnetic actuator for foldable pop-up mechanisms

This paper presents a novel approach for designing and controlling a low profile electromagnetic (EM) actuation system that can provide high speeds and easy control. Additionally, the system can be embedded in miniaturized foldable mechanisms. We report here the modelling of the low-profile EM actuator and the design methodology; further, the fabrication of a 3-cm wide, 1.4 mm thick prototype and real case scenario testing were executed. Our extensive test results verify the position control performance and validate the thermo-mechanical model in terms of expected steady state temperature and dependency by actuation frequency.