Submillimeter-scale multimaterial terrestrial robots.

Journal: Science robotics
Published Date: May 25, 2022

Abstract

Robots with submillimeter dimensions are of interest for applications that range from tools for minimally invasive surgical procedures in clinical medicine to vehicles for manipulating cells/tissues in biology research. The limited classes of structures and materials that can be used in such robots, however, create challenges in achieving desired performance parameters and modes of operation. Here, we introduce approaches in manufacturing and actuation that address these constraints to enable untethered, terrestrial robots with complex, three-dimensional (3D) geometries and heterogeneous material construction. The manufacturing procedure exploits controlled mechanical buckling to create 3D multimaterial structures in layouts that range from arrays of filaments and origami constructs to biomimetic configurations and others. A balance of forces associated with a one-way shape memory alloy and the elastic resilience of an encapsulating shell provides the basis for reversible deformations of these structures. Modes of locomotion and manipulation span from bending, twisting, and expansion upon global heating to linear/curvilinear crawling, walking, turning, and jumping upon laser-induced local thermal actuation. Photonic structures such as retroreflectors and colorimetric sensing materials support simple forms of wireless monitoring and localization. These collective advances in materials, manufacturing, actuation, and sensing add to a growing body of capabilities in this emerging field of technology.

Authors

  • Mengdi Han
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
  • Xiaogang Guo
    Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
  • Xuexian Chen
    National Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
  • Cunman Liang
    Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China.
  • Hangbo Zhao
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Qihui Zhang
    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Wubin Bai
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Fan Zhang
    Department of Anesthesiology, Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
  • Heming Wei
    Key Laboratory of Specialty Fiber Optics and Optical Access Networks, Joint International Research Laboratory of Specialty Fiber Optics and Advanced Communication, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
  • Changsheng Wu
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Qinghong Cui
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
  • Shenglian Yao
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Bohan Sun
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
  • Yiyuan Yang
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Quansan Yang
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Yuhang Ma
    School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
  • Zhaoguo Xue
    Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Center for Flexible Electronics Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
  • Jean Won Kwak
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Tianqi Jin
    Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Center for Flexible Electronics Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
  • Qing Tu
    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
  • Enming Song
    Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Intelligent Optoelectronics and Perception, Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
  • Ziao Tian
    State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
  • Yongfeng Mei
    Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
  • Daining Fang
    Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China.
  • Haixia Zhang
    Department of Nephrology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
  • Yonggang Huang
    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
  • Yihui Zhang
    Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing  100084, China.
  • John A Rogers
    7Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics, Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Neurological Surgery, Simpson Querrey Institute for Nano/Biotechnology, McCormick School of Engineering, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA.

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