CAREER: Novel Wireless, Micro-Force Sensing Mobile Microrobots for Mechanobiology and Automated Biomanipulation

该项目创造了一种新型的磁控移动微型机器人，具有基于二维视觉的微力传感末端效应器，有可能促进微型机器人的技术水平和生物细胞微操作的技术水平。通过将先进的移动操作微型机器人与基于MEMS的微力传感器相结合，将产生一种新型的变革性工具，用于未来机械生物学和自动化生物操纵的发展。所提出的移动微型机器人的末端执行器由具有定制设计力偏转特性的微柔顺机构组成，其变形通过安装在光学显微镜上的摄像头来观察。夹爪将与软磁微型机器人本体一起制造，因此可以通过外部磁场梯度进行控制。这些微力传感移动微型机器人将具有专门为机械生物学和自动化生物操纵任务量身定做的实时微力控制操作能力。为了便于推广和未来的合作研究，提出了一种便携式？生物机器人试验台，旨在舒适地安装在倒置光学显微镜或共焦显微镜周围。最后，将进行一系列与单细胞和生物材料黏附和细胞特性相关的概念验证应用研究，以展示该系统的有效性。广泛影响：由该提案实现的机械生物学和自动化生物操纵的进步将直接影响许多人的医疗保健。这项提案的研究和教育/推广工作将影响从高中到研究生的学生。学生团队将参加国际移动微型机器人大赛，以及ASME学生机械和机器人设计大赛，以激发学生对本科生研究的兴趣。当地小学生和高中生将通过史蒂文斯工程和科学教育创新中心和史蒂文斯探索工程和科学职业选择计划得到丰富。

This project, creating a novel class of magnetically-controlled, mobile microrobots with two-dimensional vision-based micro-force sensing end-effectors, has the potential to advance both the state of the art in microrobots and the state-of-the-art in biological cell micromanipulation. By combining advanced mobile manipulation microrobots with a MEMS-based micro-force sensor, a novel, transformative tool for future advancements in mechanobiology and automated biomanipulation will result.The end-effectors of the proposed mobile microbots consist of micro-compliant mechanisms with custom-designed force-deflection characteristics whose deformations are observed with a camera attached to an optical microscope. The grippers will be fabricated along with a soft magnetic microrobot body and therefore controllable with external magnetic field gradients. These micro-force sensing mobile microrobots will have real-time micro-force-control manipulation capabilities specifically tailored for mechanobiology and automated biomanipulation tasks. A portable ìBio-Robotics test-bed, designed to fit comfortably around both inverted optical or confocal microscopes, is proposed to facilitate outreach and future collaborative research. Finally, a series of proof-of-concept application studies related to single cell and biomaterial adhesion and cell characterization will be conducted to showcase the efficacy of the system.Broader Impacts: Advances in mechanobiology and automated biomanipulation enabled by this proposal will directly impact the healthcare of many. The research and educational/outreach efforts of this proposal will impact students from the high school to the graduate levels. Student teams will participate in an international mobile microrobotic competition, as well as the ASME Student Mechanism and Robot Design Competition, to stimulate students' interests in undergraduate research. Local elementary and high school students will be enriched through the Stevens' Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education and the Stevens Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science program.