Magnetic cilia carpets with programmable metachronal waves
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Author / Producer
Date
2020
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Metachronal waves commonly exist in natural cilia carpets. These emergent phenomena, which originate from phase differences between neighbouring self-beating cilia, are essential for biological transport processes including locomotion, liquid pumping, feeding, and cell delivery. However, studies of such complex active systems are limited, particularly from the experimental side. Here we report magnetically actuated, soft, artificial cilia carpets. By stretching and folding onto curved templates, programmable magnetization patterns can be encoded into artificial cilia carpets, which exhibit metachronal waves in dynamic magnetic fields. We have tested both the transport capabilities in a fluid environment and the locomotion capabilities on a solid surface. This robotic system provides a highly customizable experimental platform that not only assists in understanding fundamental rules of natural cilia carpets, but also paves a path to cilia-inspired soft robots for future biomedical applications.
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Publication status
published
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Book title
Journal / series
Volume
11 (1)
Pages / Article No.
2637
Publisher
Nature
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Applied physics; Biological physics; Engineering; Fluid dynamics
Organisational unit
03734 - Jackson, Andrew / Jackson, Andrew
03627 - Nelson, Bradley J. / Nelson, Bradley J.
08705 - Gruppe Pané Vidal
09700 - Ahmed, Daniel (ehemalig) / Ahmed, Daniel (former)
Notes
Funding
743217 - Soft Micro Robotics (EC)
185039 - Arbeitstitel "Soft Magnetic Robots: Modeling, Design and Control of Magnetically Guided Continuum Manipulators" (SNF)
179834 - The role of ambient flow and physico-chemical microenvironment in determining the microstructure of the biofilm matrix (SNF)
185039 - Arbeitstitel "Soft Magnetic Robots: Modeling, Design and Control of Magnetically Guided Continuum Manipulators" (SNF)
179834 - The role of ambient flow and physico-chemical microenvironment in determining the microstructure of the biofilm matrix (SNF)