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Updated: Sep 3, 2025

Establishing an Octopus Ecosystem for Biomedical and Bioengineering Research

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Published on: September 22, 2021

Aquabots.

Shipei Zhu¹, Ganhua Xie^2,3, Huanqing Cui¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, (SAR), Hong Kong, P. R. China.

|July 29, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed ultrasoft liquid robots called aquabots. These biocompatible robots navigate confined spaces and perform tasks like targeted delivery and micromanipulation.

Keywords:

All-water robotics aqueous phase separation hierarchical self-assembly multicompartmental reactors water-in-water 3D printing

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Robotics
Biotechnology

Background:

Soft robots made from elastomers offer flexibility but struggle with navigation in confined spaces due to deformability limitations.
Existing soft robotic technologies face challenges in achieving the necessary deformability for intricate environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To overcome the deformability barrier in soft robots for navigating narrow and confined spaces.
To develop ultrasoft liquid robots (aquabots) with hierarchical structures for advanced applications.

Main Methods:

Utilizing aqueous two-phase systems to print water-in-water constructs.
Employing aqueous phase-separation-induced self-assembly to create aquabots with nanoscale to microsciopic hierarchical structures.
Functionalizing the exterior of aquabots with enzymes, catalytic nanoparticles, and magnetic nanoparticles.

Main Results:

Successfully produced ultrasoft liquid robots (aquabots) that overcome printing resolution limits and deformability barriers.
Demonstrated aquabots' ability to adapt shape for gripping and transporting objects.
Showcased functionalization for magnetic responsiveness, targeted photocatalysis, and controlled release.

Conclusions:

Ultrasoft aquabots offer a novel solution for navigating and operating in confined, tortuous spaces.
These biocompatible, multifunctional aquabots have broad potential applications in medical micromanipulation, targeted cargo delivery, tissue engineering, and biomimetics.