Recent Process in Microrobots: From Propulsion to Swarming for Biomedical Applications

Recently, robots have assisted and contributed to the biomedical field. Scaling down the size of robots to micro/nanoscale can increase the accuracy of targeted medications and decrease the danger of invasive operations in human surgery. Inspired by the motion pattern and collective behaviors of the tiny biological motors in nature, various kinds of sophisticated and programmable microrobots are fabricated with the ability for cargo delivery, bio-imaging, precise operation, etc. In this review, four types of propulsion—magnetically, acoustically, chemically/optically and hybrid driven—and their corresponding features have been outlined and categorized. In particular, the locomotion of these micro/nanorobots, as well as the requirement of biocompatibility, transportation efficiency, and controllable motion for applications in the complex human body environment should be considered. We discuss applications of different propulsion mechanisms in the biomedical field, list their individual benefits, and suggest their potential growth paths.