Artificial helical microswimmers with mastigoneme-inspired appendages
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Updated: May 4, 2026

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1
Published on: July 11, 2017
Soichiro Tottori1, Bradley J Nelson1
1Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8092, Switzerland.
Abstract:
A smooth flagellum moves in the opposite direction of the propagation of flagellar waves. Conversely, a flagellum covered with appendages perpendicular to the main flagellum, called mastigonemes, moves in the same direction as the propagation of flagellar waves. Inspired by mastigoneme structures in nature, we report the reversal of the swimming direction of magnetically actuated artificial helical microswimmers. The main flagella and mastigonemes of these microswimmers are fabricated together using three-dimensional lithography and electron beam evaporation of ferromagnetic thin films. The results show that the swimming speed and direction can be controlled by changing the length/spacing ratio of the mastigonemes.
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