Magnetic-driven pointing system: A feasibility study

A magnetic-driven pointing system is proposed and its feasibility is explored, with possible applications in actuation, energy-aware communication, and magnetic steering. It is suggested that one magnet can be driven by the field exerted by a second one (driver) to point to a designed objective point, within a specified range of error, from whatever position in a relatively large operative space. The objective point and operative spaces are determined by magnets' magnetization, thus they are also related to magnets' geometry. After the geometrical analysis of the pointing problem, a model describing the coupling between two arbitrarily oriented magnets is developed, accounting for friction and external magnetic fields. The necessary conditions for pointing are deduced and numerical simulations are performed, exploring several magnets' features and configurations. Results from the analysis of cylindrical magnets driven by the field exerted by a cuboid magnet are then extended to the more interesting case of cylindrical driver magnet, through a reliable approximation. The experimental validation of the model is presented, showing its reliability for cylindrical driver magnets, and proving the pointing feasibility. The possibility to design magnets to achieve the pointing to the preferred objective point makes the proposed system very flexible: some possible applications are explored.