Swimming Microrobots: Soft, Reconfigurable, and Smart

Medina‐Sánchez, Mariana; Magdanz, Veronika; Guix, Maria; Fomin, V. M.; Schmidt, Oliver G.

doi:10.1002/adfm.201707228

Cited by 170 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 129 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

139

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Asymmetric actuation for effective propulsion. As discussed above, the ability of asymmetric shape-shifting can be easily found in nature and has brought new opportunities in designing functional devices [26][27][28] and robots [29][30][31][32][33] . Inspiring natural examples of multimodal deformation in locomotion can be commonly observed in animals.…”

Section: Figure 4ementioning

confidence: 99%

Symmetry-Breaking Actuation Mechanism for Soft Robotics and Active Metamaterials

Zhang

et al. 2019

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

156

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Magnetic-responsive composites that consist of soft matrix embedded with hard-magnetic particles have recently been demonstrated as robust soft active materials for fast-transforming actuation. However, the deformation of the functional components commonly attains only a single actuation mode under external stimuli, which limits their capability of achieving tunable properties.To greatly enhance the versatility of soft active materials, we exploit a new class of programmable magnetic-responsive composites incorporated with a multifunctional joint design that allows asymmetric multimodal actuation under an external stimulation. We demonstrate that the proposed asymmetric multimodal actuation enables a plethora of novel applications ranging from the basic 1D/2D active structures with asymmetric shape-shifting to biomimetic crawling and swimming robots with efficient dynamic performance as well as 2D metamaterials with tunable properties.This new asymmetric multimodal actuation mechanism will open new avenues for the design of next-generation multifunctional soft robots, biomedical devices, and acoustic metamaterials.

show abstract

Section: Figure 4ementioning

confidence: 99%

Symmetry-Breaking Actuation Mechanism for Soft Robotics and Active Metamaterials

Zhang

et al. 2019

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

156

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Inspired by the plants in nature demonstrating a good shape‐changing ability to adapt to complex and volatile environments, recent efforts have been focused on creating deformable and reconfigurable robots to meet the need of complicated tasks, such as noninvasive microsurgery, diagnosis, and therapy . To this end, small‐scale multifarious reconfigurable robots based on smart membranes have been created.…”

Section: Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inspired by the plants in nature demonstrating a good shapechanging ability to adapt to complex and volatile environments, recent efforts have been focused on creating deformable and reconfigurable robots to meet the need of complicated tasks, such as noninvasive microsurgery, diagnosis, and therapy. [86] To this end, small-scale multifarious reconfigurable robots based on smart membranes have been created. For instance, Huang et al presented a magnetically powered microrobot with a reconfigurable shape by patterning multiple hydrogel layers, which generated a stiffness gradient within the hydrogel, thus triggering an initiate self-folding behavior.…”

Section: Snms For Reconfigurable Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inorganic Stimuli‐Responsive Nanomembranes for Small‐Scale Actuators and Robots

Tian

Wang

Chen

et al. 2020

Advanced Intelligent Systems

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The term small‐scale robotics describes a wide variety of miniature robotic systems, ranging from millimeter‐sized devices down to autonomous mobile systems with dimensions measured in nanometers. These systems can perform complex tasks that are impossible for humans to accomplish or at scales that humans cannot reach. In recent years, the rapid advancement of small‐scale robotics has benefited from the progress in synthesis and nanotechnology, providing access to nanomembranes with stimuli‐responsive materials, such as phase transition materials, shape memory alloys, and palladium. These materials are 2D sheets with a thickness ranging from 5 to 500 nm, and they have the ability to change their shape reversibly under extremal stimuli. Together with strain engineering for deterministic assembly, various stimuli‐responsive actuators and robots have been fabricated for medicine, manufacturing, and exploration by endowing them with the combined features of a continuously deformable structure, remote operation, and several degrees of freedom. Herein, the recent achievements in small‐scale actuators and robots based on inorganic stimuli‐responsive nanomembranes are reviewed and their advantages and properties highlighted.

show abstract

“…Bioinspired soft robotics can recapitulate some behavioral or locomotive features of certain organisms by adopting a combination of novel material selection, mechanical design, and tissue engineering . In particular, with the integration of live biological components (e.g., muscle cells), biohybrid locomotors hold the promise to become the next generation of energy‐efficient, stimuli‐responsive, untethered robotics that can navigate complex environments and perform a variety of tasks that are otherwise formidable to fulfill . A prominent example is an “engineered ray” that demonstrated the feasibility of creating artificial creatures by mimicking the natural counterpart with unprecedented sophistication and delicacy .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Remotely Controlled Transformable Soft Robot Based on Engineered Cardiac Tissue Construct

Han

et al. 2019

Small

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many living organisms undergo conspicuous or abrupt changes in body structure, which is often accompanied by a behavioral change. Inspired by the natural metamorphosis, robotic systems can be designed as reconfigurable to be multifunctional. Here, a tissue‐engineered transformable robot is developed, which can be remotely controlled to assume different mechanical structures for switching locomotive function. The soft robot is actuated by a muscular tail fin that emulates the swimming of whales and works as a cellular engine powered by the synchronized contraction of striated cardiac microtissue constructs. For a transition of locomotive behavior, the robot can be optically triggered to transform from a spread to a retracted form, which effectively changes the bending stiffness of the tail fins, thus minimizing the propulsion output from the “tail fin” and effectively switching off the engine. With the unprecedented controllability and responsiveness, the transformable robot is implemented to work as a cargo carrier for programmed delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to selectively eradicate cancer cells. It is believed that the realization of the transformable concept paves a pathway for potential development of intelligent biohybrid robotic systems.

show abstract

Swimming Microrobots: Soft, Reconfigurable, and Smart

Cited by 170 publications

References 129 publications

Symmetry-Breaking Actuation Mechanism for Soft Robotics and Active Metamaterials

Symmetry-Breaking Actuation Mechanism for Soft Robotics and Active Metamaterials

Inorganic Stimuli‐Responsive Nanomembranes for Small‐Scale Actuators and Robots

A Remotely Controlled Transformable Soft Robot Based on Engineered Cardiac Tissue Construct

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About