Three-dimensional heterogeneous assembly of coded microgels using an untethered mobile microgripper

Chung, Siu-Wah; Dong, Xinmin; Sitti, Metin

doi:10.1039/c5lc00009b

Cited by 101 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…Most microrobotic systems have the same limitation, with the exception of some recently demonstrated 3D microassembly platforms 42 . However, it may be possible to implement layer-by-layer 3D microassembly in the OFB microrobot system, in a manner similar to methods used in other systems that generate forces near a surface 43 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative Micromanipulation Using the Independent Actuation of Fifty Microrobots in Parallel

Rahman

Cheng

Wang

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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Micromanipulation for applications in areas such as tissue engineering can require mesoscale structures to be assembled with microscale resolution. One method for achieving such manipulation is the parallel actuation of many microrobots in parallel. However, current microrobot systems lack the independent actuation of many entities in parallel. Here, the independent actuation of fifty opto-thermocapillary flow-addressed bubble (OFB) microrobots in parallel is demonstrated. Individual microrobots and groups of microrobots were moved along linear, circular, and arbitrary 2D trajectories. The independent addressing of many microrobots enables higher-throughput microassembly of micro-objects, and cooperative manipulation using multiple microrobots. Demonstrations of manipulation with multiple OFB microrobots include the transportation of microstructures using a pair or team of microrobots, and the cooperative manipulation of multiple micro-objects. The results presented here represent an order of magnitude increase in the number of independently actuated microrobots in parallel as compared to other magnetically or electrostatically actuated microrobots, and a factor of two increase as compared to previous demonstrations of OFB microrobots.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative Micromanipulation Using the Independent Actuation of Fifty Microrobots in Parallel

Rahman

Cheng

Wang

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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“…The torque-based microgripper is successfully demonstrated to perform 3D micro-assembly. Further study shows this microgripper can pick-and-place microgels into a 3D heterogeneous assembly with up to ten layers [7]. Nevertheless, these microgrippers are 2D and their deformation ranges are relatively small, limiting the geometry and dimension of the cargo they can securely grasp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Tetherless mobile micrograsping using a magnetic elastic composite material

Zhang¹,

Diller²

2016

Smart Mater. Struct.

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In this letter, we propose and characterize a new type of tetherless mobile microgripper for micrograsping that is made of a magnetic elastic composite material. Its magnetically-programmable material and structures make it the first three-dimensional (3D) mobile microgripper that is directly actuated and controlled by magnetic forces and torques. With a symmetric four-limb structure, the microgripper is 3.5 mm long from tip to tip when it is open and 30 µm thick. It forms an approximate 700 µm cube when it is closed. The orientation and 3D shape of the microgripper are determined by the direction and strength of the applied magnetic field, respectively. As a mobile device, the microgripper can be moved through aqueous environments for precise grasping and transportation of micro-objects, pulled by magnetic gradients directly or rolled in rotating magnetic fields. The deformation of the microgripper under magnetic actuation is characterized by modeling and confirmed experimentally. Being directly controlled by magnetic forces and torques, the microgripper is easier and more intuitive to control than other magnetic microgrippers that require other inputs such as thermal and chemical responses. In addition, the microgripper is capable of performing fast repeatable grasping motions, requiring no more than 25 ms to change from fully open to fully closed in water at room temperature. As a result of its large-amplitude 3D deformation, the microgripper can accommodate cargoes with a wide range of geometries and dimensions. A pick-and-place experiment demonstrates the e cacy of the microgripper and its potentials in biomedical, microfluidic, and microrobotic applications.

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“…These include light field propulsion, chemical energy, acoustic radiation force driving, and bioenergy propulsion. These methods have been used to direct a variety of small robots, for example, the microassembly or object transportation, and they have demonstrated high precision in their applications. Among these methods, the magnetic actuating technique is particularly promising, because the magnetic force can be controlled in 3D space and provides sufficient force …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untethered Octopus‐Inspired Millirobot Actuated by Regular Tetrahedron Arranged Magnetic Field

Dai

Liang

Chen

et al. 2020

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Flexible magnetic small‐scale robots (overall dimensions smaller than 1 cm) can use a patterned magnetization profile to noninvasively access a confined, enclosed liquid environment and therefore achieve applications in object manipulation or in minimally invasive procedures. Existing magnetic‐controlled small‐scale robots have shown wide usage for their high mobility and higher degrees of freedom than their rigid counterparts. Herein, an octopus‐like soft robot is proposed for potential use in biomedical and engineering fields. First, a magnetic control system is established, which uses the minimum number of coils arranged by a regular tetrahedron structure. This system responds quickly and with high precision to propel a robot in 3D space utilizing the coupled field from multiple electromagnets in concert. An octopus‐like robot with three legs is designed, which moves freely in the workspace without constraints. A time‐asymmetric gradient magnetic field is applied, to ensure that the movement of the robot is more stable and controlled. At the same time, the movement of the tail improves the precision of the robot and makes control easier.

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Three-dimensional heterogeneous assembly of coded microgels using an untethered mobile microgripper

Cited by 101 publications

References 31 publications

Cooperative Micromanipulation Using the Independent Actuation of Fifty Microrobots in Parallel

Cooperative Micromanipulation Using the Independent Actuation of Fifty Microrobots in Parallel

Tetherless mobile micrograsping using a magnetic elastic composite material

Untethered Octopus‐Inspired Millirobot Actuated by Regular Tetrahedron Arranged Magnetic Field

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