Field-Controlled Microrobots Fabricated by Photopolymerization

Xiyue Liang; Zhuo Chen; Yan Deng; Dan Liu; Xiaoming Liu; Qiang Huang; Tatsuo Arai

doi:10.34133/cbsystems.0009

Field-Controlled Microrobots Fabricated by Photopolymerization

Cyborg Bionic Syst. 2023 Jun 6:4:0009. doi: 10.34133/cbsystems.0009. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiyue Liang¹, Zhuo Chen¹, Yan Deng¹, Dan Liu¹, Xiaoming Liu¹, Qiang Huang¹, Tatsuo Arai^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
² Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan.

Abstract

Field-controlled microrobots have attracted extensive research in the biological and medical fields due to the prominent characteristics including high flexibility, small size, strong controllability, remote manipulation, and minimal damage to living organisms. However, the fabrication of these field-controlled microrobots with complex and high-precision 2- or 3-dimensional structures remains challenging. The photopolymerization technology is often chosen to fabricate field-controlled microrobots due to its fast-printing velocity, high accuracy, and high surface quality. This review categorizes the photopolymerization technologies utilized in the fabrication of field-controlled microrobots into stereolithography, digital light processing, and 2-photon polymerization. Furthermore, the photopolymerized microrobots actuated by different field forces and their functions are introduced. Finally, we conclude the future development and potential applications of photopolymerization for the fabrication of field-controlled microrobots.

Publication types

Review