Co-sponsored by: Aaron T. Becker

How can corkscrew nanorobots drill through blocked arteries? Surgeons will soon be deploying armies of tiny robots to perform microsurgeries throughout the body. The realization of reconfigurable modular nano/microrobots could aid drug delivery and microsurgery by allowing a single system to navigate diverse environments and perform multiple tasks. So far, nano/microrobotic systems are limited by insufficient versatility; for instance, helical shapes commonly used for magnetic swimmers cannot effectively assemble and disassemble into different size and shapes. Here by using nano/microswimmers with simple geometries constructed of spherical particles, we show how magnetohydrodynamics can be used to assemble and disassemble modular nano/microrobots with different physical characteristics. We develop a mechanistic physical model that can be used to improve assembly strategies. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of dynamically changing the physical properties of nano/microswimmers through assembly and disassembly in a controlled fluidic environment. Finally, we show that different configurations have different swimming properties by examining swimming speed dependence on configuration size.

Location: Engineering @ University of Houston room W-122, Engineering Building 2 

4726 Calhoun Rd
Houston, TX 77204-4005

detailed map: http://www.uh.edu/infotech/services/facilities-equipment/supported-classrooms/d3/w-122/

Research Highlights of BASTlabs: https://youtu.be/JvfaZx-aqwM

Research Website: http://bastlabs.org/

MinJun Kim, Ph.D.

Robert C. Womack Endowed Chair Professor in Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Southern Methodist University

PO Box 750337, Dallas, TX 75275-0337

Speaker(s): MinJun Kim,

Agenda:

9:55-10 snacks

10-10:45 research presentation

10:45-11 question & answers

Location:
Room: W-122
Bldg: Engineering Building 2
Cullen College of Engineering
4726 Calhoun Rd
Houston, Texas
77204-4005