Applications of Magnetic Bearings in Robotics

Magnetic bearings have the ability to support objects without mechanical contact. In addition they have the functions of controlling the stiffness and damping of levitation and controlling the position and attitude of the supported object wi th an accuracy of a micro meter or submicrons. By taking advantages of these characteristics of magnetic bearings, robots are expected to improve their abilities, to expand the field of activity in clean rooms and in vacuums, and to have good tools for the tasks which need precise manipulation. In this paper the following researches and attempts which are related to applications of magnetic bearings in robotics are introduced. These are: development of clean room robot of which joints are composed of magnetic bearings, development of super clean actuators which have the function of magnetic bearings and stepping motors in one construction, and development of magnetically supported intelligent hand as an end effector of robots to do precise assembling.