3D PRINTED MINIATURIZED SOFT MICROSWIMMER FOR MULTIMODAL 3D AIR-LIQUID NAVIGATION AND MANIPULATION

Major challenges of microscale swimmers for biomedical applications could be listed as the 3D motion for air-liquid navigation, selective motion control of multiple swimmers, visual servo automation control and micromanipulation functionality. Here we report a miniaturized soft microswimmer for serving as a wireless microrobotic manipulator in air-liquid environments. We fabricated these micrometric soft swimmers by two-photon 3D nanoprinting of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and metallization of ferromagnetic nickel layer for magnetic propulsion. We demonstrated for the first time 3D airliquid navigation and selective motion control of multiple soft swimmers thanks to the multimodal propulsion with magnetic and buoyancy force. We further reduced stick-slip phenomenon by applying high frequency vibration by piezo disc actuator. This allowed real-time visual tracking of the soft microswimmers and also the micromanipulation of microfibers. We believe that this 3D printed and miniaturized mobile agents should enlarge the application areas from in-vitro microfluidics to bio/chemical assay.