Collisions and transport of lead balls on lamellated surfaces made of magnetoactive elastomers

We investigate the physical mechanisms driving directional transport of solid objects by micro-lamellar structures laser-inscribed on the surface of a magnetoactive elastomer (MAE). When subjected to a rotating magnetic field with a peak amplitude of 175 mT and a time period of 0.4 s, the lamellas reorient within a few milliseconds, reaching angular velocities up to 1100 rad s⁻¹. This rapid motion is crucial for efficient momentum and energy transfer to objects in contact with the lamellas. The analysis of collisions of a single lamella with a lead ball with a 2.2 mm diameter shows that the lamella can transfer around 50 nJ of energy, propelling the ball to a speed of around 35 mm s⁻¹. We show how this value sets the upper limit for the ball’s transport speed on multi-lamellar MAE arrays. We also explain the background of three distinct transport regimes (kicking, pushing, and bouncing modes) observed on these magnetically driven "conveyor belts".