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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to 3D nanofabricated soft microrobots with super-compliant picoforce springs as onboard sensors and actuators
ClearA Programmable Inchworm-Inspired Soft Robot Powered by a Rotating Magnetic Field
Researchers designed and fabricated an inchworm-inspired soft robot driven by a rotating magnetic field, demonstrating programmable locomotion through flexible structural deformation, with potential applications in miniaturized robotic systems for confined environments.
A Survey of Recent Developments in Magnetic Microrobots for Micro-/Nano-Manipulation
This survey reviews recent advances in tiny magnetically controlled robots designed for manipulating objects at the micro and nano scale, particularly in biomedical applications. Researchers found that these microrobots show promise for targeted drug delivery, cell manipulation, and minimally invasive surgery. While not directly about microplastics, the technology could eventually be applied to detecting or removing micro-scale pollutants from biological systems.
Reconfigurable Magnetic Liquid Metal Microrobots: A Regenerable Solution for the Capture and Removal of Micro/Nanoplastics
Scientists developed magnetically controlled liquid metal microrobots that can capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. The tiny robots can change shape, be steered with magnets, and be regenerated for reuse, offering a potential new technology for cleaning plastic pollution from water sources before it reaches people.
Multi-functional soft-bodied jellyfish-like swimming
Researchers designed a small jellyfish-inspired swimming robot made of magnetic flexible material that can be controlled by an external oscillating magnetic field to perform multiple tasks in water. The robot demonstrates how soft, jellyfish-like designs could be used for underwater object manipulation, and may also help scientists study how real jellyfish move.
Tiny robots catch bacteria, microplastics in water
Researchers developed magnetically controlled microbots under 3 micrometers in diameter -- fabricated from Dynabeads coated with polymer strands -- that can capture both free-swimming bacteria and microplastics in water, offering a novel remediation approach for two distinct categories of aquatic contaminants.
Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup
Researchers engineered magnetotactic bacteria-based microrobots capable of three-dimensional swarming motions guided by magnetic fields to capture micro- and nanoplastics from water. The living microrobots successfully captured plastics from commercial products including polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and rubber microplastics, offering a bio-inspired cleanup strategy.
Biohybrid Magnetically Driven Microrobots for Sustainable Removal of Micro/Nanoplastics from the Aquatic Environment
Researchers developed biohybrid microrobots by coating biological cells with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, enabling them to capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water using magnetic steering. The microrobots effectively captured plastic particles through electrostatic interactions and could be collected with a magnet after use. The study presents an innovative and sustainable approach to cleaning up plastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Untethered Micro/Nanorobots for Remote Sensing: Toward Intelligent Platform
Researchers reviewed recent advances in tiny wirelessly-controlled robots (micro/nanorobots) designed to detect substances in complex environments, such as inside the body or in contaminated water, using motion, light, and chemical signals for sensing. These miniature devices could eventually enable real-time detection of pollutants like microplastics or disease markers in places that conventional sensors cannot reach.
Magnetically Driven Living Microrobot Swarms for Aquatic Micro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup
Scientists developed tiny magnetically controlled bacterial microrobots that can swarm together to capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. These living robots use natural swimming motion combined with magnetic guidance to collect plastic particles from various commercial products in aquatic environments. This innovative technology could lead to new ways of cleaning up microplastic pollution before it enters drinking water and the food chain.
Hydrogel-Based Stimuli-Responsive Micromotors for Biomedicine
This review summarized progress in hydrogel-based micromotors that respond to stimuli such as temperature, pH, and magnetic fields for biomedical applications. The study suggests these tiny devices could transport drugs or capture targets in hard-to-reach areas of the body, offering potential for minimally invasive diagnosis and therapy.
Locomotion of an untethered, worm-inspired soft robot driven by a shape-memory alloy skeleton
Researchers built a small untethered robot inspired by maggot locomotion, using a shape-memory alloy that contracts when heated to crawl forward without any attached power cables, and demonstrated it can carry cargo three times its own weight — a step toward miniature robots that could work in confined or inaccessible spaces.
Machine learning–driven design of engineered cilia enables hybrid operations in acoustic microrobots
Scientists have created tiny robots with hair-like structures that can bend, rotate, and change shape inside the human body using sound waves. These microscopic robots could potentially deliver drugs precisely to diseased areas or perform minimally invasive medical procedures. While still in early development, this technology could lead to new treatments that are less harmful than current surgical methods.
Investigation of Soft Matter Nanomechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy and Optical Tweezers: A Comprehensive Review
This review covers how atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers are used to measure the mechanical properties of soft materials like cells, proteins, and gels at the nanoscale. While not directly about microplastics, these tools are increasingly used to study how nano- and microplastic particles interact with cell membranes and biological tissues. Understanding these interactions at the molecular level helps explain how microplastics cause physical damage to cells.
Magnetic Microrobot Swarms with Polymeric Hands Catching Bacteria and Microplastics in Water
Scientists developed tiny magnetic robots with polymer coatings that can swarm together and capture both bacteria and microplastics from water. The robots self-assemble into rotating formations when exposed to magnetic fields, effectively sweeping up contaminants as they move. This technology offers a promising new approach for cleaning microplastics from water supplies, which could help reduce human exposure to these pollutants.
Recent Advances in Microrobots Powered by Multi-Physics Field for Biomedical and Environmental Applications
Not relevant to microplastics — this review surveys multi-physics-field-driven microrobots for biomedical and environmental applications such as targeted drug delivery and pollutant degradation, with microplastic removal mentioned only in passing as one of many potential environmental uses.
Rolling microswarms along acoustic virtual walls
Researchers developed a system in which microswarms of magnetic particles can roll along 'virtual walls' created by acoustic pressure fields in liquids, enabling cable-free microscale navigation without requiring physical boundaries.
Self-Propelled Janus Microdimer Swimmers under a Rotating Magnetic Field
Researchers designed self-propelling microscopic swimmers powered by rotating magnetic fields, with potential uses in medicine and environmental monitoring. While not directly about microplastics, this micro-robotics technology could eventually be applied to detecting or removing contaminants at the microscale.
Propulsion Mechanisms in Magnetic Microrobotics: From Single Microrobots to Swarms
This review examines the propulsion mechanisms of magnetic microrobots, from individual units to coordinated swarms, including their structural design and control methods. Researchers discuss how these tiny robots can be directed using external magnetic fields for tasks like targeted drug delivery and water purification. The technology has potential applications for environmental cleanup, including removing microplastics and other pollutants from water.
Emerging Roles of Microrobots for Enhancing the Sensitivity of Biosensors
This review explores how microrobots are being developed to enhance the sensitivity of biosensors for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Researchers describe how the controlled movement of these tiny robots can actively concentrate target molecules, overcoming the limitations of passive diffusion-based sensing. The study notes that microrobots also show potential for tasks like microplastic removal from water, though this application is still in early stages.
Shape-programmed 3D printed swimming microtori for the transport of passive and active agents
Researchers used nanoscale 3D printing to create microscopic ring-shaped swimmers (microtori) that can be magnetically controlled to switch between two swimming modes — one that collects and carries other tiny particles, and one that guides them along flow lines. These programmable microswimmers could eventually be used to transport materials or interact with cells in medical or environmental applications.