title: Unconventional microfluidics: expanding the discipline.
abstract: Since its inception, the discipline of microfluidics has been harnessed for innovations in the biomedicine/chemistry fields-and to great effect. This success has had the natural side-effect of stereotyping microfluidics as a platform for medical diagnostics and miniaturized lab processes. But microfluidics has more to offer. And very recently, some researchers have successfully applied microfluidics to fields outside its traditional domains. In this Focus article, we highlight notable examples of such "unconventional" microfluidics applications (e.g., robotics, electronics). It is our hope that these early successes in unconventional microfluidics prompt further creativity, and inspire readers to expand the microfluidics discipline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmad Ahsan
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nawaz
authors.forename: Xiaole
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Zackary S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.forename: Tony Jun
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics; D044085:Microfluidics; D011846:Radio Waves; D012371:Robotics