Soft micromachines with programmable motility and morphology

TLDR

Nature inspires mobile micromachines that navigate confined heterogeneous environments for minimally invasive operations, yet simple flagella‑like microswimmers lack multifunctionality, addressability, and maneuverability due to design and material limitations. We develop an origami‑inspired rapid‑prototyping process to build self‑folding, magnetically powered micromachines with complex body plans, reconfigurable shape, and controllable motility. By selectively reprogramming the mechanical design and magnetic anisotropy of body parts, we dynamically modulate the swimming characteristics of the micromachines. Tail and body morphologies jointly determine swimming efficiency, and unlike rigid swimmers, the magnetic field choice can subtly alter the motility of soft microswimmers.

Abstract

Abstract Nature provides a wide range of inspiration for building mobile micromachines that can navigate through confined heterogenous environments and perform minimally invasive environmental and biomedical operations. For example, microstructures fabricated in the form of bacterial or eukaryotic flagella can act as artificial microswimmers. Due to limitations in their design and material properties, these simple micromachines lack multifunctionality, effective addressability and manoeuvrability in complex environments. Here we develop an origami-inspired rapid prototyping process for building self-folding, magnetically powered micromachines with complex body plans, reconfigurable shape and controllable motility. Selective reprogramming of the mechanical design and magnetic anisotropy of body parts dynamically modulates the swimming characteristics of the micromachines. We find that tail and body morphologies together determine swimming efficiency and, unlike for rigid swimmers, the choice of magnetic field can subtly change the motility of soft microswimmers.