Microrobots with different structures can exhibit multiple propulsion mechanisms under external magnetic fields. Swarms dynamically assembled by microrobots inherit the advantages of single microrobots, such as degradability and small dimensions, while also offering benefits like scalability and high flexibility. With control of magnetic fields, these swarms demonstrate diverse propulsion mechanisms and can perform precise actions in complex environments. Therefore, the relationship between single microrobots and their swarms is a significant area of study. This paper reviews the relationship between single microrobots and swarms by examining the structural design, control methods, propulsion mechanisms, and practical applications. At first, we introduce the structural design of microrobots, including materials and manufacturing methods. Then, we describe magnetic field generation systems, including gradient, rotating, and oscillating magnetic fields, and their characteristics. Next, we analyze the propulsion mechanisms of individual microrobots and the way microrobots dynamically assemble into a swarm under an external magnetic field, which illustrates the relationship between single microrobots and swarms. Finally, we discuss the application of different swarm propulsion mechanisms in water purification and targeted delivery, summarize current challenges and future work, and explore future directions.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11857472 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/mi16020181 | DOI Listing |
Soft Matter
March 2025
Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Catalytic microswimmers typically swim close to walls due to hydrodynamic and/or phoretic effects. The walls in turn are known to affect their propulsion, making it difficult to single out the contributions that stem from particle-based catalytic propulsion only, thereby preventing an understanding of the propulsion mechanism. Here, we use acoustic tweezers to lift catalytically active Janus spheres away from the wall to study their motion in bulk and when approaching a wall.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
March 2025
State Key Laboratory for the Modernization of Classical and Famous Prescriptions of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330096, Jiangxi, China.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common clinical functional gastrointestinal disease. It has a complex pathophysiological mechanism, in which the imbalance of gut microbiota might play an important role. Lacidophilin tablets (LH) can regulate gut microbiota, but their effect on IBS is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cell Infect Microbiol
March 2025
The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Objective: To compare three common stimuli that induce emotional stress to identify the optimal method for establishing an animal model that aligns with the clinical pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to explore the gut microbiota mechanisms underlying IBS development.
Methods: Thirty-six SPF-grade female Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups: the normal control (NC) group, the restraint stress (BM) group, the tail clamp stress (CTM) group, and the restraint combined with tail clamp stress (BCTM) group, with 9 mice in each group. The NC group was fed normally without any stimulation.
Exp Physiol
March 2025
Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
In activities of daily living, people walk at different speeds with or without carrying additional loads. In this study, we sought to examine how human adults manage these commonly encountered additional demands during walking. We measured electromyography (EMG), triceps surae H-reflexes, joint motion and ground reaction forces (GRF) while participants walked at 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
January 2025
School of Electronic Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000, China.
Microrobots with different structures can exhibit multiple propulsion mechanisms under external magnetic fields. Swarms dynamically assembled by microrobots inherit the advantages of single microrobots, such as degradability and small dimensions, while also offering benefits like scalability and high flexibility. With control of magnetic fields, these swarms demonstrate diverse propulsion mechanisms and can perform precise actions in complex environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!