A Magnetic Millirobot Walks on Slippery Biological Surfaces for Targeted Cargo Delivery

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Small-scale robots are promising for minimally invasive medicine.
• Locomotion on slippery biological tissues is a significant challenge for current robots, especially with heavy loads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a magnetic millirobot capable of efficient locomotion on rough and slippery biological tissues.
• To enable wireless actuation for precise control and heavy cargo delivery in medical applications.

Main Methods:

• Experimental study of millirobot locomotion on biological tissues.
• Numerical simulations to validate and optimize locomotion parameters.
• Development of a permanent magnet setup for wireless actuation and trajectory control.

Main Results:

• The millirobot demonstrated robust locomotion on rough and slippery biological tissues by alternating foot anchoring and body rotation.
• Wireless actuation enabled precise control for complex trajectories and vertical wall climbing.
• The millirobot successfully carried cargo up to four times its own weight and performed drug deployment.

Conclusions:

• The developed magnetic millirobot offers a versatile and effective solution for targeted drug delivery in minimally invasive medicine.
• Its robust gait and heavy load capacity overcome current locomotion challenges on biological terrains.
• This technology has the potential to significantly advance miniaturized robotic systems for medical applications.