Small-Scale Machines Driven by External Power Sources.
Xiang-Zhong Chen, Bumjin Jang, Daniel Ahmed, Chengzhi Hu, Carmela De Marco, Marcus Hoop, Fajer Mushtaq, Bradley J Nelson, Salvador Pané
Author Information
Xiang-Zhong Chen: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland. ORCID
Bumjin Jang: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Daniel Ahmed: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Chengzhi Hu: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Carmela De Marco: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Marcus Hoop: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Fajer Mushtaq: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Bradley J Nelson: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Salvador Pané: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), ETH Zurich, CH, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland. ORCID
Micro- and nanorobots have shown great potential for applications in various fields, including minimally invasive surgery, targeted therapy, cell manipulation, environmental monitoring, and water remediation. Recent progress in the design, fabrication, and operation of these miniaturized devices has greatly enhanced their versatility. In this report, the most recent progress on the manipulation of small-scale robots based on power sources, such as magnetic fields, light, acoustic waves, electric fields, thermal energy, or combinations of these, is surveyed. The design and propulsion mechanism of micro- and nanorobots are the focus of this article. Their fabrication and applications are also briefly discussed.
