Ultrafast Miniature Robotic Swimmers with Upstream Motility

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Miniature soft robots offer noninvasive access to internal body regions.
• Accurate navigation of small robots in dynamic environments like blood flow remains a challenge.
• Upstream swimming capability is crucial for locomotion within the vascular system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a miniature robotic swimmer with ultrafast swimming capabilities.
• To enable agile locomotion and upstream navigation in fluidic and vascular environments.
• To explore potential biomedical applications for advanced miniature robotic systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of miniature soft robots using advanced materials science and micro-nano fabrication.
• Fabrication of an undulatory robotic swimmer.
• Experimental testing of swimming velocity in various fluidic conditions, including tubular environments with flow.
• Ultrasound-guided navigation in a blood vessel phantom.

Main Results:

• The robotic swimmer achieved a maximum velocity of 30 cm/s (60 body lengths) in water.
• A swimming velocity of 17 cm/s was maintained in a tubular environment.
• Upstream swimming against a flow speed of 10 cm/s was demonstrated at 5 cm/s.
• Successful ultrasound-guided navigation in a simulated blood vessel was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed miniature robotic swimmer exhibits exceptional speed and maneuverability.
• This technology shows promise for agile undulatory locomotion in complex biological environments.
• The findings provide valuable insights for designing future biomedical robots for minimally invasive procedures.