Project description
Propelling microrobots
Microrobots are microsystems engineered to locomote in biological environments and carry out microscale biomedical tasks such as biosensing and drug delivery. However, microrobot propulsion in biological media presents a challenge as the rheological properties differ from those of water. Funded by the European Research Council, the VIBEBOT project aims to develop microrobots that can actively propel themselves in viscoelastic materials. The idea is to endow these microdevices with vibrational technology that will allow them to penetrate soft tissues and reach in vivo targets more efficiently. Researchers will mimic the rheological properties of biological fluids in vitro and optimise the shape, surface, material and gait of microrobots to facilitate propulsion.
Objective
Wireless micro-robots hold great potential for minimally-invasive medicine, since they may allow for targeted drug delivery, in vivo sensing, stimulation, and even new surgical procedures. However, the biggest hurdle for biomedical applications is the penetration of real biological media, for instance, mucus, vitreous, blood clots and tumour tissues. Most current micro-/nano-robots can propel in water, however, the same propulsion mechanisms do not readily transfer to viscoelastic biological media. One major bottleneck is that it is not possible to exert enough force for propulsion in a system that could one day also accommodate a human. The overall goal of this proposal is to develop vibrational microdevices that can actively propel and wirelessly sense in viscoelastic biological tissues. The excited mechanical vibration is coupled with the frequency-dependent fluidic rheology to increase the energy release rate, to reduce the penetration force needed for tissue rupture, and thus to facilitate an easier penetration of the tissues. We will investigate the fundamental mechanisms of propulsion at low Reynolds number in viscoelastic materials. The microrheology of the biological fluids will be measured and modelled, and it will allow us to optimize the shape and gait of the micro-robot to exploit the complex rheological properties of biological tissues and generate propulsion. The proposed work will also advance three-dimensional fabrication technologies for asymmetric micro-/nanostructures as key elements to interact with tissues to facilitate efficient locomotion. We will also develop novel sensing methods for in vivo sensing and localization of the microdevices. Our research will lead to a new class of micro-robots - the VIBEBOTS that will be able to actively penetrate real tissues, and open up outstanding opportunities for useful biomedical applications.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
69120 Heidelberg
Germany