Magnetic levitation with unlimited omnidirectional rotation range

• We have designed a system to stably levitate an object in any orientation.
• Electromagnetic models calculate the force and torque between each coil and magnet.
• Forces and torques between multiple magnets and coils produce a transformation matrix.
• The designs are evaluated by their matrix condition numbers and current requirements.
• Over 180° rotations are demonstrated about each axis of the levitated body.

We have realized a magnetic levitation device in which the motion of a levitated body can be stably controlled in any orientation, with no limits on its spatial rotation range. The system consists of a planar array of cylindrical coils on a fixed base, a levitated frame containing disc magnets and LED position markers, and an optical motion tracking sensor for feedback control of levitation. This system combines the capabilities of fine positioning, vibration isolation, and a spherical motor, with potential applications in omnidirectional antenna and camera pointing, user interaction, manipulation, and simulated spaceflight dynamics and control. The device design is presented including the magnet and coil configuration, analysis and control methods, and position and rotation trajectory control results.The system development process consisted of numerical analysis of electromagnetic forces and torques between coils and magnets, to find the maximum required coil currents for levitation and the condition numbers of the transformation matrices between coil currents and forces and torques generated on the levitated body, for various configurations of coils and magnets, over their full 3D translation and rotation ranges. As a result, a magnetic levitation setup consisting of an array of 27 coils and a levitated object with six disk-shaped permanent magnets was selected. The setup achieved levitation in six degrees of freedom and unlimited rotation about any axis at a fixed height of 40 mm (a 4 mm minimum height above the coil array). The performance was verified with levitated trajectory following rotation command experiments in roll, pitch, yaw, and including 360° rotations about non-principal axes.

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