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A review on microrobots driven by optical and magnetic fields.

Yaozhen Hou1,2, Huaping Wang1,2,3, Rongxin Fu4

  • 1School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China. wanghuaping@bit.edu.cn.

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Summary

Microrobots use external light or magnetic fields for precise control in various fields. This review details advances in their design, actuation, and applications, comparing their strengths and weaknesses.

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Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Microrobots offer unique advantages for accessing confined spaces in medicine and engineering.
  • Their small size presents challenges for onboard power, necessitating external actuation methods.
  • Light and magnetic fields are promising actuation sources due to their precision and biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in microrobots actuated by light and magnetic fields.
  • To compare the design, actuation mechanisms, and applications of these two types of microrobots.
  • To explore future directions, including the combined use of optical and magnetic actuation.

Main Methods:

  • Summarized light-driven microrobot techniques: optical tweezers, optoelectronic tweezers, and heat-mediated optical manipulation.
  • Detailed magnetically driven microrobot types: torque-driven, force-driven, and shape-deformable.
  • Compared advantages and disadvantages of light versus magnetic field actuation.

Main Results:

  • Light-driven microrobots utilize precise optical manipulation techniques.
  • Magnetically driven microrobots offer diverse actuation modes including torque, force, and shape deformation.
  • Both methods have distinct benefits and limitations for microrobot applications.

Conclusions:

  • Light and magnetic fields are key external actuation sources for microrobots.
  • Understanding their comparative advantages is crucial for selecting appropriate microrobot technologies.
  • Future research may benefit from synergistic optical and magnetic field control for enhanced microrobot functionality.