European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Adv Mater. 2017 Nov;29(42). doi: 10.1002/adma.201704047. Epub 2017 Oct 4.
Grabbing and holding objects at the microscale is a complex function, even for microscopic living animals. Inspired by the hominid-type hand, a microscopic equivalent able to catch microelements is engineered. This microhand is light sensitive and can be either remotely controlled by optical illumination or can act autonomously and grab small particles on the basis of their optical properties. Since the energy is delivered optically, without the need for wires or batteries, the artificial hand can be shrunk down to the micrometer scale. Soft material is used, in particular, a custom-made liquid-crystal network that is patterned by a photolithographic technique. The elastic reshaping properties of this material allow finger movement, using environmental light as the only energy source. The hand can be either controlled externally (via the light field), or else the conditions in which it autonomously grabs a particle in its vicinity can be created. This microrobot has the unique feature that it can distinguish between particles of different colors and gray levels. The realization of this autonomous hand constitutes a crucial element in the development of microscopic creatures that can perform tasks without human intervention and self-organized automation at the micrometer scale.
抓取和握持微尺度物体是一个复杂的功能，即使对于微观生物也是如此。受类人型手的启发，设计了一种能够捕捉微观物体的微型等效物。这种微型手对光敏感，可以通过光学照明远程控制，也可以根据其光学特性自主行动并抓取小颗粒。由于能量是通过光学方式传递的，不需要电线或电池，因此人工手可以缩小到微米级。特别使用了软材料，即通过光刻技术图案化的定制液晶网络。这种材料的弹性重塑特性允许手指运动，仅使用环境光作为唯一能源。手可以外部控制（通过光场），或者可以在其附近自主抓取颗粒的情况下进行控制。这种微型机器人具有独特的功能，可以区分不同颜色和灰度的颗粒。这种自主手的实现是开发可以在没有人为干预的情况下执行任务的微观生物以及在微观尺度上实现自组织自动化的关键要素。
