Programmable actuating systems based on swimming fiber robots

Microrobotics represents an important branch of robotics in the past decade, and demonstrates great potential in a broad range of applications such as targeted drug delivery, cell manipulation and bioimaging. However, it is rare while becomes critical to make integrated and programmable actuating systems with sophisticated and controllable architectures that are demanded for real applications. Here, we present a new family of bio-inspired programmable actuating systems assembled from carbon nanotube/platinum swimming fiber robots (SFRs). The SFRs demonstrate hetero-sectional structures that offer rapid and stable rotations in H2O2 solution. Similar to the building blocks like tentacle and spine of invertebrates, the SFRs are then assembled into programmable actuating systems that may move in rotation and translation or switch between them. As a general and effective strategy, this assembling methodology may also open up a new direction for microrobotics on system level.