Light-switchable swarming of biohybrid microrobots

Controlling collective behavior in the microscale is essential for advancing autonomous robotic systems in complex environments. While biohybrid microrobotic swarms offer considerable promise for targeted therapeutic and remediation applications, their programmable assembly and collective behavior remain challenging. Here, we describe an attractive light-triggered approach for enabling reconfigurable swarming of biohybrid microrobots based on the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CR). Such reversible swarming behavior is realized by combining the wavelength-dependent assembly ability of CR and its inherent phototactic properties with light exposures through a series of different mask openings that define the desired swarm geometry. Changes in the projected light enable dynamic modulation of the swarm shape and size, including real-time swarm splitting and merging behaviors. The concept was explored toward artificial intelligence-assisted wound targeting applications through the creation of microrobot swarms customized to exposed wound areas. Such powerful swarming capabilities offer considerable promise for the collective behavior of biohybrid microrobots toward important practical applications.