Apparatus and methods for material manipulation
AssigneeFractal Braid, Inc.
InventorsJesse Jarrell, Louis A. Ashford, Dustin French
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.
Claims26
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration;
- a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move, wherein the magnetic device is configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material;
- one or more sensors configured to detect changes in electrical currents delivered to the magnetic device array as the carrier moves on the surface of the apparatus;
- and
- a controller configured to control the magnetic device array to modulate a polarity of the magnetic field at different locations on the surface, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier based at least in part on the changes in electrical currents detected using the one or more sensors.
A method of actuating a carrier, comprising:
- providing a magnetic device array arranged in a three-dimensional configuration;
- providing a surface on which the carrier is configured to move;
- activating, with aid of a controller, the magnetic device array to provide a magnetic field by delivering electrical currents to the magnetic device array;
- modulating a polarity of the magnetic field at different locations on the surface to drive the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material, via the magnetic field provided by the magnetic device array;
- using one or more sensors to detect changes in the electrical currents delivered to the magnetic device array as the carrier moves on the surface of the apparatus;
- and
- detecting, with aid of the controller, a position and/or motion of the carrier based at least in part on the changes in electrical currents detected using the one or more sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.