Biomimetic soft multifunctional miniature aquabots

A study was conducted to investigate the fabrication of multifunctional small aquabots on soft materials. The aquabots were fabricated on soft materials, due to the ease of polymerization and the ability to prepare the material composition towards achieving certain functionality, such as responsiveness to pH, temperature, or electric/magnetic field. It was observed that sequential in situ photopolymerization within a microfluidic device allowed for precise fabrication of different components. These components were constructed using a relatively inert polyethylene glycol (PEG) material, while ionic electroactive polymers were chosen from a large number of available soft materials, to serve as the actuators for facilitating controlled movement. It was found that some aquabots contained temperature-, pH-, or chemical-sensitive polymers, along with their electroactive hydrogel and PEG components, depending on the application.