Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots
Abstract Swarms of soft microrobots controlled by minimally invasive magnetic fields show promise as biomedical agents. The collective behaviour of such swarms, governed by magnetic and hydrodynamic interactions, emerges from the properties of their individual constituents. The introduction of both...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Communications Engineering |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-023-00145-5 |
| _version_ | 1797363268105273344 |
|---|---|
| author | Yimo Yan Chao Song Zaiyi Shen Yuechen Zhu Xingyu Ni Bin Wang Michael G. Christiansen Stavros Stavrakis Juho S. Lintuvuori Baoquan Chen Andrew deMello Simone Schuerle |
| author_facet | Yimo Yan Chao Song Zaiyi Shen Yuechen Zhu Xingyu Ni Bin Wang Michael G. Christiansen Stavros Stavrakis Juho S. Lintuvuori Baoquan Chen Andrew deMello Simone Schuerle |
| author_sort | Yimo Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Swarms of soft microrobots controlled by minimally invasive magnetic fields show promise as biomedical agents. The collective behaviour of such swarms, governed by magnetic and hydrodynamic interactions, emerges from the properties of their individual constituents. The introduction of both magnetic and structural anisotropy into microrobots expands the possibilities for tailoring and predetermining interactions and collective behaviours that result. Unfortunately, current methods for large-scale production of soft microrobots, typically result in isotropic properties. Herein, by combining simulation-guided design and droplet-based microfluidics, we present a versatile, high-throughput technique for fabricating soft microrobots with programmable structural and magnetic anisotropy. Such microrobots consist of iron oxide nanoparticles organized into supra-domain structures and entrapped in a hydrogel matrix that can be elongated independently of its magnetic properties. By applying rotating magnetic fields to resulting swarms, distinct collective behaviours are produced, including gas-like formations, variable crystals, and heterogeneous motions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:18:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed0bc08dd7b9464d993c97432236e4bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2731-3395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:18:53Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed0bc08dd7b9464d993c97432236e4bf2024-01-07T12:28:22ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Engineering2731-33952024-01-013111110.1038/s44172-023-00145-5Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobotsYimo Yan0Chao Song1Zaiyi Shen2Yuechen Zhu3Xingyu Ni4Bin Wang5Michael G. Christiansen6Stavros Stavrakis7Juho S. Lintuvuori8Baoquan Chen9Andrew deMello10Simone Schuerle11Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Translational Medicine, ETH ZürichDepartment of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH ZürichDepartment of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking UniversityNational Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence, Peking UniversityNational Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence, Peking UniversityNational Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence, BIGAIDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Translational Medicine, ETH ZürichDepartment of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH ZürichCNRS, LOMA, University of BordeauxNational Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence, Peking UniversityDepartment of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH ZürichDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Translational Medicine, ETH ZürichAbstract Swarms of soft microrobots controlled by minimally invasive magnetic fields show promise as biomedical agents. The collective behaviour of such swarms, governed by magnetic and hydrodynamic interactions, emerges from the properties of their individual constituents. The introduction of both magnetic and structural anisotropy into microrobots expands the possibilities for tailoring and predetermining interactions and collective behaviours that result. Unfortunately, current methods for large-scale production of soft microrobots, typically result in isotropic properties. Herein, by combining simulation-guided design and droplet-based microfluidics, we present a versatile, high-throughput technique for fabricating soft microrobots with programmable structural and magnetic anisotropy. Such microrobots consist of iron oxide nanoparticles organized into supra-domain structures and entrapped in a hydrogel matrix that can be elongated independently of its magnetic properties. By applying rotating magnetic fields to resulting swarms, distinct collective behaviours are produced, including gas-like formations, variable crystals, and heterogeneous motions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-023-00145-5 |
| spellingShingle | Yimo Yan Chao Song Zaiyi Shen Yuechen Zhu Xingyu Ni Bin Wang Michael G. Christiansen Stavros Stavrakis Juho S. Lintuvuori Baoquan Chen Andrew deMello Simone Schuerle Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots Communications Engineering |
| title | Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| title_full | Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| title_fullStr | Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| title_full_unstemmed | Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| title_short | Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| title_sort | programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-023-00145-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yimoyan programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT chaosong programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT zaiyishen programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT yuechenzhu programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT xingyuni programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT binwang programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT michaelgchristiansen programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT stavrosstavrakis programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT juhoslintuvuori programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT baoquanchen programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT andrewdemello programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots AT simoneschuerle programmingstructuralandmagneticanisotropyfortailoredinteractionandcontrolofsoftmicrorobots |