Peristalsis is widely seen in nature, as this pumping action is important in digestive systems for conveying sustenance to every corner of the body. In this paper, we propose a muscle-powered tubular micro pump that p...Peristalsis is widely seen in nature, as this pumping action is important in digestive systems for conveying sustenance to every corner of the body. In this paper, we propose a muscle-powered tubular micro pump that provides peristaltic transport. We utilized Drosophila melanogaster larvae that express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) on the cell membrane of skeletal muscles to obtain light-responsive muscle tissues. The larvae were forced to contract with blue light stimulation. While changing the speed of the propagating light stimulation, we observed displacement on the surface of the contractile muscle tissues. We obtained peristaltic pumps from the larvae by dissecting them into tubular structures. The average inner diameter of the tubular structures was about 400 lm and the average outer diameter was about 750 lm. Contractions of this tubular structure could be controlled with the same blue light stimulation. To make the inner flow visible, we placed microbeads into the peristaltic pump, and thus determined that the pump could transport microbeads at a speed of 120 lm-s1.展开更多
Biosyncretic robots that integrate living materials present unique advantages for advancing robotic research.Compared with traditional robots,biosyncretic robots offer potential benefits such as higher energy efficien...Biosyncretic robots that integrate living materials present unique advantages for advancing robotic research.Compared with traditional robots,biosyncretic robots offer potential benefits such as higher energy efficiency and enhanced biocompatibility.Among various bioactuators,skeletal muscle tissue(SMT)is particularly favored for its scalability,potential to generate high driving forces,and controllable on/off actuation.However,current SMT actuators often face challenges,including a limited driving force and suboptimal practical designs,which may impede the development of biosyncretic robots.To address these limitations,this work proposes a method for fabricating modular SMT actuators.By leveraging biomimetic design and structural optimization,the contractile performance of SMT is significantly improved.The actuators achieved a maximum contractile force of 2.920.07 mN,demonstrated approximately 28%contractile strain under unloaded conditions,and notably exhibited responsive single-twitch contractions to electrical stimulation frequencies up to 10 Hz.This electrical response performance outperforms that of most existing biosyncretic robot studies.In addition,the modular SMT is highly adaptable and can be easily assembled to construct human-like muscle actuators,including convergent,parallel,and bipennate muscles.By integrating rigid-flexible coupled nonliving structures,various SMT-driven biosyncretic robots,such as caterpillar,dolphin,and manta ray robots,have been successfully developed.This research presents an innovative approach to constructing large,high-performance,multifunctional skeletal muscle actuators and design of robots,contributing significantly to advancements in both biosyncretic robots(or biohybrid robots)and tissue engineering.展开更多
Owing to the deep integration of biological and electromechanical systems,biosyncretic robotic systems have emerged as a significant research interest in robotics.This study presents the latest related research featur...Owing to the deep integration of biological and electromechanical systems,biosyncretic robotic systems have emerged as a significant research interest in robotics.This study presents the latest related research featuring various biological actuators.Following the classification of biosyncretic robotic systems,the key technologies for construction are elucidated and summarized,including comprehensive structural design,fabrication,and behavior control methods.Subsequently,emphasis has been placed on their applications,particularly within the biomedical domain.Finally,the challenges are summarized,and their future developments are envisioned.展开更多
基金supported by Grant-in-Aid for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)Fellow(17J01742)JSPS,MEXT KAKENHI(21676002,23111705,26249027,and 17H01254)the Industrial Technology Research Grant Program from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization(NEDO)of Japan
文摘Peristalsis is widely seen in nature, as this pumping action is important in digestive systems for conveying sustenance to every corner of the body. In this paper, we propose a muscle-powered tubular micro pump that provides peristaltic transport. We utilized Drosophila melanogaster larvae that express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) on the cell membrane of skeletal muscles to obtain light-responsive muscle tissues. The larvae were forced to contract with blue light stimulation. While changing the speed of the propagating light stimulation, we observed displacement on the surface of the contractile muscle tissues. We obtained peristaltic pumps from the larvae by dissecting them into tubular structures. The average inner diameter of the tubular structures was about 400 lm and the average outer diameter was about 750 lm. Contractions of this tubular structure could be controlled with the same blue light stimulation. To make the inner flow visible, we placed microbeads into the peristaltic pump, and thus determined that the pump could transport microbeads at a speed of 120 lm-s1.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62373347,61925307,62333021,and 62303351)the New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the XPLORER PRIZE,the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research(Grant No.YSBR-041)+3 种基金the Youth Innovation Promotion Association,the Chinese Academy of Science(Grant No.2023210)the Nature Foundation of Liaoning Province of China(2024021110-JH3/102)the State Key Laboratory of Robotics(Grant No.2024-Z04)the Fundamental Research Project of SIA(Grant No.2022JC2K01).
文摘Biosyncretic robots that integrate living materials present unique advantages for advancing robotic research.Compared with traditional robots,biosyncretic robots offer potential benefits such as higher energy efficiency and enhanced biocompatibility.Among various bioactuators,skeletal muscle tissue(SMT)is particularly favored for its scalability,potential to generate high driving forces,and controllable on/off actuation.However,current SMT actuators often face challenges,including a limited driving force and suboptimal practical designs,which may impede the development of biosyncretic robots.To address these limitations,this work proposes a method for fabricating modular SMT actuators.By leveraging biomimetic design and structural optimization,the contractile performance of SMT is significantly improved.The actuators achieved a maximum contractile force of 2.920.07 mN,demonstrated approximately 28%contractile strain under unloaded conditions,and notably exhibited responsive single-twitch contractions to electrical stimulation frequencies up to 10 Hz.This electrical response performance outperforms that of most existing biosyncretic robot studies.In addition,the modular SMT is highly adaptable and can be easily assembled to construct human-like muscle actuators,including convergent,parallel,and bipennate muscles.By integrating rigid-flexible coupled nonliving structures,various SMT-driven biosyncretic robots,such as caterpillar,dolphin,and manta ray robots,have been successfully developed.This research presents an innovative approach to constructing large,high-performance,multifunctional skeletal muscle actuators and design of robots,contributing significantly to advancements in both biosyncretic robots(or biohybrid robots)and tissue engineering.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFB4700100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61925307,62373347,62333021)+3 种基金the Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.YSBR-041)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2023210)the State Key Laboratory of Robotics(Grant No.2024-Z04)the Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors of Ministry of Education,China Medical University(Grant No.GIPD-22-01)。
文摘Owing to the deep integration of biological and electromechanical systems,biosyncretic robotic systems have emerged as a significant research interest in robotics.This study presents the latest related research featuring various biological actuators.Following the classification of biosyncretic robotic systems,the key technologies for construction are elucidated and summarized,including comprehensive structural design,fabrication,and behavior control methods.Subsequently,emphasis has been placed on their applications,particularly within the biomedical domain.Finally,the challenges are summarized,and their future developments are envisioned.
