Microtransformers: controlled microscale navigation with flexible robots

摘要: Artificial microswimmers are a new technology with promising microfluidics and biomedical applications, such as directed cargo transport, microscale assembly, targeted drug delivery. A fundamental barrier to realising this potential is the ability control trajectories of multiple individuals within large group. navigation mechanism for "fuel-based" microswimmers, example autophoretic Janus particles, entails modulating local environment guide swimmer, instance by etching grooves in microchannels. However, techniques currently limited bulk guidance. This paper will argue that manufacturing from phoretic filaments flexible shape-memory polymer, elastic transformations can modulate swimming behaviour, allowing precision selected group through complex environments.