Tiny, soft robot with multi-legs paves the way for drug delivery in the human body

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A novel tiny, soft robot with caterpillar-like legs capable of carrying heavy loads and adaptable to adverse environments has been developed by a research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The mini delivery-robot could pave the way for medical technology advances, such as drug delivery in the human body.

The research findings have been published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature Communications in a paper titled “A Bio-inspired Multilegged Soft Millirobot that Functions in Both Dry and Wet Conditions”.

Period2 Oct 2018

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TitleTiny, soft robot with multi-legs paves the way for drug delivery in the human body
DescriptionA novel tiny, soft robot with caterpillar-like legs capable of carrying heavy loads and adaptable to adverse environments has been developed by a research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The mini delivery-robot could pave the way for medical technology advances, such as drug delivery in the human body.

Dr Shen Yajing, Assistant Professor in CityU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), who leads the research, said the robot has hundreds of less than 1 mm-long pointed legs, which look like tiny hairs. This greatly reduces the contact area and hence friction with the surface. Laboratory tests show that the multi-legged robot has 40 times less friction than a limbless robot in both wet and dry environments.

“Both the materials and the mutli-leg design greatly improve the robot’s hydrophobic property. And the rubbery piece is soft and can be cut easily to form robots of various shapes and sizes for different applications,” said Professor Wang Zuankai, from CityU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (MNE), who conceived of this research idea and initiated the collaboration among the researchers.
Persons
Media name/outletCityU NewsCentre
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkhttps://newscentre.cityu.edu.hk/media/news/2018/10/02/tiny-soft-robot-multi-legs-paves-way-drug-delivery-human-body
Title城大製「微軟機械蟲」助體內運藥
Description城大領導的研究團隊成功研發出像毛蟲般多足而且非常靈活的微型軟體機械人，可越過高度逾其腿長10倍的障礙物、負重力高兼可迅速移動，為日後在人體內輸送藥物等醫療科技發展帶來新機遇，研究成果已於最新一期科學期刊《自然通訊》發表。
Persons
Media name/outletWen Wei Po
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkpaper.wenweipo.com/2018/10/02/ED1810020013.htm
Title城大研發微型軟體機械人 體內送藥新機遇
Description城市大學（城大）領導的研究團隊，成功研發像毛蟲般多足的微型軟體機械人，能夠在惡劣環境下載運重物。這項新研究成果，可為日後在人體內輸送藥物等醫療科技發展帶來新機遇。

研究成果已於最新一期科學期刊《自然通訊》發表，論文題為「在乾爽或濕潤環境下均可運作的仿生物多足軟體微型機械人」。
Persons
Media name/outletSing Pao Daily News
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkwww.singpao.com.hk/index.php?fi=news1&lang=1&id=83903
Title城大研微型多足機械人 可游走人體送藥
Description香港城市大學研發微型像毛蟲般多足軟體機械人，多足設計可大幅減少與接觸面摩擦，其柔軟身體和可變形腿足，可輕易越過障礙物，期望日後可在人體內輸送藥物等技術帶來突破。研究專家指，希望在未來二至三年內製作出可被生物降解的機械人，並能夠在完成傳送藥物後自然分解。
Persons
Media name/outletOriental Daily
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkorientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20181002/00176_038.html
Title 城大研發機械人 助體內運藥
Description城大成功研發一款外形如毛蟲的微型軟體機械人，有數以百計、長度少於1毫米且柔軟如毛髮的尖腿，實驗證實可跨越較其腿長高10倍的障礙物，同時可負載其體重100倍的物件，適合用於惡劣環境，例如經人體消化系統運送藥物，或進行醫療檢查。

城大生物醫學工程學系助理教授申亞京博士指，機械人以名為聚二甲基矽氧烷（PDMS）的矽膠物料造成，方便裁剪成不同形狀及大小，而且內含磁性顆粒，可透過電磁力作遙控。
Persons
Media name/outletSky Post
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkhttps://skypost.ulifestyle.com.hk/article/2171569/%E5%9F%8E%E5%A4%A7%E7%A0%94%E7%99%BC%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%8A%A9%E9%AB%94%E5%85%A7%E9%81%8B%E8%97%A5
Title城大研發多足軟體機械人　游走人體內傳輸藥物
Description香港城市大學（城大）領導的研究團隊成功研發像毛蟲般多足的微型軟體機械人，能夠在惡劣環境下載運重物；研究成果可為日後在人體內輸送藥物等醫療科技發展帶來新機遇。新研發的機械人極靈活，可越過高度逾其腿長10倍的障礙物；其多足設計也大幅減少與地面的摩擦，令它可在人體內滿佈或浸沒在體液或血液的表面迅速移動。

研究團隊將從三方面優化該項目：尋找可生物降解的製作材料、研發機械人的新外型，以及增加其他特點。領導是次研究的城大生物醫學工程學系助理教授申亞京博士指希望在未來兩三年內製成可生物降解的機械人，能夠在完成傳送藥物的任務後自然分解。研究成果已於最新一期科學期刊《自然通訊》發表。
Persons
Media name/outletHong Kong Economic Times
PlaceHong Kong
Media typeWeb
Date2/10/18
Linkhttps://topick.hket.com/article/2171348/%E5%9F%8E%E5%A4%A7%E7%A0%94%E7%99%BC%E5%A4%9A%E8%B6%B3%E8%BB%9F%E9%AB%94%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E4%BA%BA%E3%80%80%E6%B8%B8%E8%B5%B0%E4%BA%BA%E9%AB%94%E5%85%A7%E5%82%B3%E8%BC%B8%E8%97%A5%E7%89%A9