Nano- and Microrobotics

Course no. 0000002074, 2023-24 WS

Student Name: …………………………..

Student Number: …………………………..
Deadline: 06.12.2023
Problem Set 2

1. What could be the possible limitations of light-driven actuation in terms of medical in vivo
applications?

2. What is the limitation of magnetic locomotion control via force and torque for small objects?
What is the alternative to overcome that limitation from a locomotion perspective?

3. A spherical microrobot with a radius of 5 μm is navigating through the bronchial tubes of

the lungs. The microrobot moves with a constant velocity of 10 μm/s. The viscosity of the
air in the bronchial tubes is 1.8 × 10-5 Pa·s.
a) Calculate the drag force acting on the microrobot as it moves through the bronchial
tubes.
b) The microrobot encounters a constriction in the bronchial tube, where the microrobot
radius is reduced to 2 μm. Calculate the new drag force acting on the microrobot as it
passes through the constriction.
c) Which nanomanipulator would you use from a force perspective, if you want to control
this microrobot?

4. A permanent magnetic microrobot has dimensions of 250 𝑥 130 𝑥 100 𝜇𝑚3 with
magnetization of 𝑀 = 200 𝑘𝐴/𝑚. Calculate the magnetic force that an electromagnet can
apply on the robot with magnetic gradient of ∇𝐵 = 55 𝑚𝑇/𝑚. From the same coil, a field of
𝐵 = 2.8 𝑚𝑇 perpendicular to the direction of microrobot magnetization is applied. Calculate
the magnetic torque applied from this field on the robot.

5. A microrobot, powered by the rotating magnetic field, is fabricated to deliver protein crystals.
A scientist uses this microrobot to trap crystals in a vortex above itself in a solution, where
the microrobot moves with the velocity of 410 μm s−1 relative to the fluid at low Reynolds
number. Calculate the viscosity (in mPa·s) of the solution when crystal is considered as a
sphere with the radius of 150 μm and subjected to a drag force of 18 nN? (Source: H. Tung,
D. F. Sargent, B. J. Nelson, Applied Crystallography 2014, 692-700).

6. A hybrid microswimmer uses a combination of an acoustic field and a magnetic field to

achieve a navigation at a relatively large propulsive force. An acoustic field at frequency of
40 kHz is exerted to an air bubble with radius of 30 μm and generate an oscillation with
amplitude of 2.1 μm. What is the generated acoustic force in this microswimmer assuming
the liquid density ρ = 1000 kg m−3? Simultaneously, if the microswimmer was subjected by
a Stokes drag force of Fdrag = 1 nN , would the controlled motion occur? Explain your
judgment. (Source: D. Ahmed, C. Dillinger, A. Hong, B. J. Nelson, Advanced Materials
Technologies 2017, 1700050)

7. A microrobot that can be controlled by magnetic gradients is engineered. A magnetization

M = 135 A m−1 in x-axis direction is externally provided to the cubic magnetic microrobot
with side length of 13 μm. Calculate the magnetic force acting on the microrobot if the
derivative of magnetic flux is 0.029 T m−1 in x-axis direction. (Source: Book chapter in
Nanorobotics pp 275-299, “Generating Magnetic Fields for Controlling Nanorobots in
Medical Applications” by Simone Schürle, Bradley E. Kratochvil, Salvador Pane,
Mohammad Arif Zeeshan, and Bradley J. Nelson)
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