Microbiorobotics: Biologically Inspired Microscale Robotic Systems

Microbiorobotics: Biologically Inspired Microscale Robotic Systems, Second Edition presents information on a new engineering discipline that takes a multidisciplinary approach to accomplish precise manipulation of microscale spaces.

Microorganisms have evolved various mechanisms to thrive in microscale environments and are therefore a useful tool for use in many applications, ranging from micromanufacturing techniques, to cellular manipulation. In the context of microrobotics, biological microrobots can directly harness the microorganisms for propulsive and sensing power and synthetic microrobots can mimic the microorganisms’ motions for effective locomotion.

This second edition covers new advances and insights that have emerged in recent years. Several new chapters have been added on important new research areas, with existing chapters thoroughly revised. In particular, increased coverage is given to fluid dynamics of microswimmers in nature.

Gives the reader an understanding of the fundamental changes in dynamics and fabrication techniques in the microenvironmentOffers a unique two-pronged approach to microrobotics from a biological perspective, i.e. bioinspired engineering design of biological systems to accomplish engineering tasksIntroduces an interdisciplinary readership to the toolkit that micro-organisms offer to micro-engineering

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Theoretical Microbiorobotics 1. Controlling swarms of robots with global inputs: Breaking symmetry 2. Optimization of magnetic forces for drug delivery in the inner ear

Part 3: Biological Microrobots 3. Development of active controllable tumor targeting bacteriobot 4. Control of magnetotactic bacteria 5. Obstacle avoidance for bacteria-powered microrobots 6. Interacting with boundaries

Part 4: Synthetic Microrobots 7. Control of three bead achiral robotic microswimmers 8. Micro- and nanorobots in Newtonian and biological viscoelastic fluids 9. Magnetic microrobots for microbiology 10. Magnetic mobile microrobots for mechanobiology and automated biomanipulation 11. Magnetic swarm control of microorganisms