A magnetically controlled micro-robot with multiple side flagella

Abstract

Magnetically controlled micro-robots have been arousing more and more attentions because of their great performances in motion, and potentials in biomedical engineering, such as micro-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic applications inside human body, and transportation, detection, manipulation and assembling of micro-particles in lab-on-a-chip. This paper presents a magnetic-torque-driving-based tadpole-shape micro-robot with a characteristic length of 4mm. The micro-robot with multiple side flagella produces diffusion wave motion to promote its own advance. And it is fabricated with MEMS process about deposition, transfer, and etching. The magnetic micro-robot is actuated by a magnetic control system which was constructed by 2 Helmholtz coils and can generate alternating uniform magnetic field from 1Hz to 100Hz, by inputting proper current signals at the same frequency. Driven by a weak alternating field of 7mT at 35Hz, the magnetic micro-robot moves at the speed of 4mm/s in deionized water.