Micro/nanorobotic systems capable of targeted transporting and releasing hold considerable promise for drug delivery, cellular surgery, biosensing, nano assembling, etc. However, on-demand precise control of the micro/nanorobot movement remains a major challenge. In particular, a practical interface to realize instant and customized interactions between human and micro/ nanorobots, which is quite essential for developing next generation intelligent micro/nanorobots, has seldom been explored. Here, we present a human−microrobot user interface to perform direct and agile recognition of user commands and signal conversion for driving the microrobot. The microrobot platform is built based on locally enhanced acoustic streaming which could precisely transport microparticles and cells along a given pathway, while the interface is enabled by tuning the actuation frequency and time with different instructions and inputs. Our numerical simulations and experimental demonstrations illustrate that microparticles can be readily transported along the path by the acoustic robotic system, due to the vibration-induced locally enhanced acoustic streaming and resultant propulsion force. The acoustic robotic platform allows large-scale parallel transportation for microparticles and cells along given paths. The human microrobot interface enables the micromanipulator to response promptly to the users' commands input by typing or music playing for accurate transport. For example, the music tone of a playing melody is used for manipulating a cancer cell to a targeted position. The interface offers several attractive capabilities, including tunable speed and orientation, quick response, considerable delivery capacities, high precision and favorable controllability. We expect that such interface will work as a compelling and versatile platform for myriad potential scenarios in transportation units of microrobots, single cell analysis instruments, lab-on-chip systems, microfactories, etc.
Microrobots that could perform precise manipulations in micro/nano scales have attracted a tremendous recent attention towards past decades for helping human beings to explore Dynamic assembly and cooperation represent future frontiers for next generations of advanced micro/nano robots, but the required local interaction and communication cannot be directly translated from macroscale robots through the minimization because of tremendous technological challenges. Here, an ultrafast growth and locomotion methodology is presented for dandelion-like microswarms assembled from catalytic tubular micromotors. With ultrasound oscillation of self-generated bubbles, such microswarms could overcome the tremendous and chaotic drag force from extensive and disordered bubble generation in single units. Tubular MnO 2 micromotor individuals headed by selfgenerated oxygen bubbles are ultrasonically driven to swim rapidly in surfactantfree H 2 O 2 solutions. A large bubble core fused from multiple microbubbles is excited to oscillate and the resultant local intensified acoustic field attracts the individual micromotors to school around it, leading to a simultaneous growth of dandelion-like microswarms. The bubble-carried micromotor groups driven by ultrasound could swarm at a zigzag pattern with an average speed of up to 50 mm s −1 , which is validated in low H 2 O 2 concentrations. Additionally, such superfast locomotion could be ultrasonically modulated on demand. The ultrafast microswarm growth and locomotion strategy offers a new paradigm for constructing distinct dynamic assemblies and rapid transmission of artificial microrobots, paving the way to a myriad of promising applications. the unknown nanoworld. [1] With intensive efforts devoted from multidisciplinary fields, diverse propulsion mechanisms for microrobots have been unlocked to develop numerous microrobot platforms activated by internal chemical reactions or external physical fields (magnetic, acoustic, optic, electrostatic, or thermo, etc.). [2] In addition, versatile utilizations have demonstrated that single or few number of functionalized microrobots could efficiently undertake fantastic missions in a precise and active manner, such as targeted cargo delivery, nanosurgery, and molecular imaging, etc. [3] However, their limited capacity for payloads embedment and poor motility in harsh environment (e.g., strong ambient flow, high ionic environment, etc.) have significantly hindered such promising platform from the proof-of-concept research to practical applications. Inspired by the global collective behaviors of living creature groups in nature, [4] such as shoaling fish and flocking birds, self-organized aggregation, or swarming of micromotor groups have been coming under the spotlight. These group behaviors could realize the reinforced mobility, load capacity, and robustness that individual ones cannot offer, thereby illuminating more prospects in fulfilling complex tasks. [5] Among several representative geometries of micromotors, tubular micromotors have arou...
Autonomous micro‐/nanomachines that can convert diverse energy sources into effective locomotion under the constraint of low Reynolds numbers hold considerable promise for a variety of applications, such as cargo delivery, localized biosensing, nanosurgery, and detoxification. In this Minireview, we briefly overview recent advances in the development of micro‐/nanomachines that are specifically powered by ultrasound, in particular new concept design, their working principles, and their fabrication and manipulation strategies. Finally, the exclusive biocompatibility and sustainability of ultrasound‐powered micro‐/nanomachines, as well as the critical challenges that face their in vivo application, are discussed to provide insight for the next phase of micro‐/nanomachines with versatile functionalities and enhanced capabilities.
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