Magnetically-actuated artificial cilium: a simple theoretical model
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Updated: Jan 27, 2026
Modeling and Experimental Analysis of the Single-Shaft Coaxial Motor-Pump Assembly in Electrohydrostatic Actuators
Published on: June 13, 2022
Fanlong Meng1, Daiki Matsunaga, Julia M Yeomans
1Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK. ramin.golestanian@ds.mpg.de.
Abstract:
We propose a theoretical model for a magnetically-actuated artificial cilium in a fluid environment and investigate its dynamical behaviour, using both analytical calculations and numerical simulations. The cilium consists of a spherical soft magnet, a spherical hard magnet, and an elastic spring that connects the two magnetic components. Under a rotating magnetic field, the cilium exhibits a transition from phase-locking at low frequencies to phase-slipping at higher frequencies. We study the dynamics of the magnetic cilium in the vicinity of a wall by incorporating its hydrodynamic influence, and examine the efficiency of the actuated cilium in pumping viscous fluids. This cilium model can be helpful in a variety of applications such as transport and mixing of viscous solutions at small scales and fabricating microswimmers.
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