Terrestrial locomotion of microscopic robots enabled by 3D nanomembranes with nonreciprocal shape morphing.

ABSTRACT: Microscopic robots exhibit efficient locomotion in liquids by leveraging fluid dynamics and chemical reactions to generate force asymmetry, thereby enabling critical applications in photonics and biomedicine. However, achieving controllable locomotion of such robots on terrestrial surfaces remains challenging because fluctuating adhesion on nonideal surfaces disrupts the necessary asymmetry for propulsion. Here, we present a microscopic robot composed of three-dimensional nanomembranes, which navigate diverse terrestrial surfaces with omnidirectional motion. We propose a general mechanism employing nonreciprocal shape morphing to generate stable asymmetric forces on surfaces. This nonreciprocal shape morphing is realized through a laser-actuated vanadium dioxide nanomembrane, leveraging th

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12207485 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature