Mechanically interlocked 3D multi-material micromachines

Engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) have developed microbots that can swim through the blood stream under magnetic guidance.  They “show that hybrid microstructures can be interlocked by combining 3D lithography, mold casting, and electrodeposition. Our method can be used to achieve complex multi-material microdevices with unprecedented resolution and topological complexity. We show that metallic components can be combined with structures made of different classes of polymers. Properties of both metals and polymers can be exploited in parallel, resulting in structures with high magnetic responsiveness, elevated drug loading capacity, on-demand shape transformation, and elastic behavior. We showcase the advantages of our approach by demonstrating new microrobotic locomotion modes and controlled agglomeration of swarms.”  MORE

Image Credit:  ETH Zurich and Nature.com