Feng Bo, Liu Yide, Zhang Jiahang, Qu Shaoxing, Yang Wei
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power & Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Mar 17;16(1):2633. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-57815-5.
Robotic micromanipulation is widely applied in biological research and medical procedures, providing a level of operational precision and stability beyond human capability. Compared with traditional micromanipulators that require assembly from many parts, origami manipulators offer advantages such as small size, lightweight, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. However, there are still requirements in biological application to address regarding stiffness, precision, and dexterity. Achieving a compact and functional parallel mechanism through origami structures remains a challenging problem. Here, we present the Micro-X4, a 4-Degree-of-Freedom (4-DoF) origami micromanipulator, which offers a workspace of 756 mm, with a precision of 346 nm and a stiffness of 2738 N/m. We conduct a series of micromanipulation tasks, ranging from the tissue scale to the subcellular scale, including pattern cutting, cell positioning and puncturing, as well as cell cutting and insertion. Contact force measurement is further integrated to demonstrate precise control over cell operations and puncturing. We envision the Micro-X4 as the foundation for the next generation of lightweight and compact micromanipulation devices.
机器人显微操作在生物学研究和医疗程序中得到了广泛应用，其操作精度和稳定性达到了人类难以企及的水平。与需要由多个部件组装而成的传统显微操作器相比，折纸操作器具有体积小、重量轻、成本效益高和可扩展性强等优点。然而，在生物学应用中，在刚度、精度和灵活性方面仍有需要解决的问题。通过折纸结构实现紧凑且功能齐全的并联机构仍然是一个具有挑战性的问题。在此，我们展示了Micro-X4，一种四自由度（4-DoF）折纸显微操作器，其工作空间为756立方毫米，精度为346纳米，刚度为2738牛/米。我们进行了一系列从组织尺度到亚细胞尺度的显微操作任务，包括图案切割、细胞定位与穿刺，以及细胞切割与插入。进一步集成了接触力测量，以展示对细胞操作和穿刺的精确控制。我们设想将Micro-X4作为下一代轻量化、紧凑型显微操作设备的基础。
