Establishment of a fabrication method for a long-term actuated hybrid cell robot.
We developed a novel method to fabricate a crab-like microrobot that can actuate for a long period in a physiological condition. The microrobot backbone was built with a biocompatible and elastic material-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-by using a specially designed 3D molding aligner, and consisted of three strips of PDMS "legs" connected across a "body." Cardiomyocytes were then plated on the grooved top surface of the backbone, resulting in a high concentration of pulsating cells. These key techniques enabled the microrobot to walk continuously for over ten days. The performance of our crab-like microrobot was measured at an average velocity of 100 microm s(-1), and the estimated total distance it travelled was 50 m over a one-week period. Thus, we have demonstrated for the first time a walking robot that exhibited reliable and long-term actuation performances.
Kim
Jinseok
J
Nano-Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea.
Park
Jungyul
J
Yang
Sungwook
S
Baek
Jeongeun
J
Kim
Byungkyu
B
Lee
Sang Ho
SH
Yoon
Eui-Sung
ES
Chun
Kukjin
K
Park
Sukho
S
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004867:Equipment Design; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012371:Robotics