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

这个项目，创造了一个新的类磁控，移动的microrobots与二维视觉为基础的微力传感端效应器，有可能推进在microrobots和国家的最先进的生物细胞显微操作的最先进的。通过结合先进的移动的操作微型机器人与基于MEMS的微力传感器，一种新的，变革性的工具，为未来的进步，在机械生物学和自动化biomanipulation.The建议的移动的微型机器人的末端执行器由微顺应机制与定制设计的力偏转特性，其变形观察与相机连接到一个光学显微镜。夹具将沿着与软磁微型机器人主体一起制造，因此可通过外部磁场梯度进行控制。这些微力传感移动的微型机器人将具有专门为机械生物学和自动生物操纵任务量身定制的实时微力控制操纵能力。一个便携式的生物机器人实验台，旨在适应周围的倒置光学或共聚焦显微镜舒适，提出了促进推广和未来的合作研究。最后，将进行一系列与单细胞和生物材料粘附以及细胞表征相关的概念验证应用研究，以展示该系统的功效。更广泛的影响：该提案所实现的机械生物学和自动生物操纵的进步将直接影响许多人的医疗保健。这项建议的研究和教育/外联工作将影响到从高中到研究生的学生。学生团队将参加国际移动的微型机器人竞赛，以及ASME学生机构和机器人设计竞赛，以激发学生对本科研究的兴趣。当地的小学和高中学生将通过史蒂文斯的工程和科学教育创新中心和史蒂文斯探索工程和科学计划的职业选择而得到丰富。

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.