Microrobotics from edX

Welcome to the course on Microrobotics!

Microrobotics refer to robots of milimeter or micrometer scale. These robots function mostly in fluidic environment, concerning a great range of disciplines including engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, living sicence, etc. They are playing an important role on a wide range of interdisciplinary applications, e.g., remote drug delivery, minimal invasive surgery, human health monitoring, plant science investigations, and so much more. With the advancement of technologies, we are excited to come to an era in which we believe microrobotics could accomplish great work that are unimaginable before.

In this course, we will introduce you the basic concept of microrobotics and their applications. You will learn what a microrobot is, how it functions, and in which way you could build and control a microrobot. You will also learn the state-of-the-art research topics and applications of microrobots and challenges in building them. We hope you could learn a lot in this course, and become interested in this field. Look forward to seeing you!

For more information, you could visit our website: https://msrl.ethz.ch/, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-ks5XkUEnb2WTO6UsOQcw, or follow our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/multi-scale-robotics-lab.

What's inside

Learning objective

You will learn what a microrobot is, how it functions, and in which way you could build and control a microrobot. you will also learn the state-of-the-art research topics and applications of microrobots and challenges in building them.

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Covers a range of disciplines, including engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and the living sciences, making it broadly applicable

Explores applications such as remote drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, human health monitoring, and plant science investigations, which are areas of active research

Introduces the basic concepts of microrobotics, including their function, construction, and control, providing a foundational understanding

Examines state-of-the-art research topics and the challenges in building microrobots, offering insights into current developments

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Microrobotics with these activities:

Review 'Micro and Nano Robotics: System and Applications'

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Gain a solid foundation in the principles and applications of microrobotics by studying this comprehensive book.

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the chapters on microfabrication techniques.
Study the sections on control systems.
Review the applications of microrobots in medicine.

Review Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals

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Strengthen your understanding of fluid mechanics, a crucial prerequisite for comprehending the behavior of microrobots in fluidic environments.

Browse courses on Fluid Dynamics

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Review your notes on fluid dynamics.
Solve practice problems related to viscosity.
Study the principles of surface tension.

Design a Simple Microrobot

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Apply your knowledge by designing a basic microrobot, considering its actuation mechanism, control system, and potential applications.

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Research different actuation methods.
Sketch a design for your microrobot.
Choose materials for fabrication.
Outline a control strategy.

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Create a Presentation on Microrobot Applications

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Deepen your understanding of microrobotics by researching and presenting on their diverse applications in various fields.

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Research applications in drug delivery.
Investigate applications in microsurgery.
Prepare slides with key information.
Practice your presentation skills.

Follow Tutorials on Microfabrication Techniques

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Gain practical skills in microfabrication by following online tutorials and learning about different fabrication processes.

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Find tutorials on soft lithography.
Watch videos on thin film deposition.
Take notes on the process steps.
Identify equipment needed for each process.

Contribute to Open-Source Microrobotics Projects

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Enhance your skills and contribute to the microrobotics community by participating in open-source projects.

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Find an open-source project on GitHub.
Read the project's documentation.
Identify areas where you can contribute.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Study 'Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Structures, Properties, Fabrication and Applications'

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Expand your knowledge of related fields by studying nanoscience and nanotechnology, which are essential for understanding the materials and processes used in microrobotics.

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the chapters on nanomaterials.
Study the sections on nanofabrication techniques.
Review the applications of nanotechnology in robotics.

Career center

Learners who complete Microrobotics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Robotics Engineer

A robotics engineer designs, develops, and tests robots for various applications. This course on microrobotics fits perfectly for individuals who want to work with small-scale robots in particular, offering a deep dive into how these tiny machines function, are built, and controlled. This course helps those who aspire to be a robotics engineer understand the challenges and state-of-the-art research in this unique field, preparing them to contribute to innovative solutions in medicine, manufacturing, and more. The course also delves into the application of microrobots within engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine showing the practical side of this work. Knowledge of how they function in fluid environments is crucial for many current applications. This course will serve as a starting point for a rewarding career in robotic technology.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Biomedical Engineer

Biomedical engineers work to develop solutions to medical and health-related problems, often using engineering principles. This course on microrobotics is particularly relevant for biomedical engineers, since it explores the use of micro-scale robots in medical applications such as drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and human health monitoring. This course will assist biomedical engineers understand the unique challenges of working with tiny robots in biological environments. Biomedical engineering and microrobotics are closely related and the course provides a great foundation for those planning on specializing in this area.

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Research Scientist

A research scientist conducts experiments, analyzes data, and works to advance scientific knowledge. This course on microrobotics introduces research within the field, covering cutting-edge topics and challenges in the design and application of these tiny robots. If you aspire to be a research scientist in advanced robotics, this course is a great starting point. It provides a view into how microrobots function, and it offers a chance to learn about how they can be built and controlled. This course also teaches the use of microrobots in many scientific areas, allowing you to connect the ideas of your research to many different problems.

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Mechatronics Engineer

Mechatronics engineers combine mechanical, electrical, and software engineering principles. The study of microrobotics in this course is essential to the field of mechatronics. The course provides a unique understanding of the integration of various engineering disciplines to design, build, and control these tiny robots. This course provides the knowledge that mechatronics engineers require to navigate the challenges of working at such a small scale. You'll gain insights into the different ways microrobots can be built and controlled, and you'll see how the concepts apply to real-world problems.

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Medical Device Developer

A medical device developer conceptualizes, designs, and develops medical devices to improve patient care. A deep understanding of microrobotics, as offered by this course, is essential to this work. The course goes into detail on how these devices function, how they can be built, and how they can be controlled in medical contexts. Medical device developers will benefit from learning about the current research in this field. This course also introduces the challenges that are specific to building medical microrobots, further enhancing its value for someone interested in such a career.

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Manufacturing Engineer

Manufacturing engineers are responsible for designing and improving the processes involved in manufacturing products. This course may be useful for a manufacturing engineer, particularly those interested in precision manufacturing or working with very small components. The course introduces you to the challenges of creating and controlling microrobots, which in turn may have implications in manufacturing processes at a very tiny scale. A manufacturing engineer would appreciate the information on design, control, and construction of robots as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the course, which touches on many different fields like physics, chemistry, and biology.

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Automation Engineer

Automation engineers design and implement automated systems to improve efficiency. While the course focuses on micro-scale robotics, the foundational knowledge of robotics design, control, and function may be useful. In particular, the course goes through how microrobots can be built and controlled, which may be relevant to the automation of processes at the micro-scale. An automation engineer interested in novel approaches to precision automation may find this course helpful.

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Materials Scientist

Materials scientists study the properties of materials and their applications. This course may be useful to a materials scientist as it introduces one of the most challenging scales of robotics. The course will provide information on how different materials need to be used to create microrobots. Topics such as structure, function and control of microrobots may be useful for material scientists interested in the mechanical properties of advanced structures. A materials scientist who is interested in the unique requirements of micro-scale devices may find this course helpful.

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Systems Engineer

Systems engineers focus on the design of complex systems, integrating different components into a cohesive whole. This course may help systems engineers who are working on complex systems that incorporate micro-scale technologies. The course introduces how microrobots are conceptualized, designed, and controlled within a complex system. Such an engineer will need an overview on both hardware and software design, and this course may help to that end. A systems engineer who is interested in microrobotics and its integration with other systems may find this course very relevant.

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Process Engineer

Process engineers oversee and optimize industrial processes, and while this course focuses on microrobotics, it may be useful due to the problem-solving involved in the subject. The course provides an introduction to the design, construction, and control of microrobots. Process engineers may find the approach to creating and optimizing the function of a complex system to parallel their own work. This course may be useful for process engineers considering incorporating robotic technology in industrial processes.

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Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineers may be interested in the applications of microrobotics in fluidic environments and chemical processes. While this course doesn't directly focus on chemical processes, an understanding of how microrobots are built and controlled may be useful for chemical engineers involved in process control or microfluidics. The interdisciplinary nature of the course, which touches upon biology, chemistry, and physics, may be helpful to those in this field. This course may be useful for chemical engineers who seek insight into micro-scale technologies.

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Software Engineer

Software engineers develop and maintain the software that powers various systems. While the course primarily focuses on the hardware and applications of microrobotics, an understanding of how these devices function and the challenges involved may be helpful for those developing software for robotic control systems. A software engineer focused on the software side of robotics may find this course useful as an introduction to microrobotics. Specifically, you will learn the details of controlling microrobots and software considerations would be applicable to your profession. This course may be useful to software engineers working in robotics.

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Product Designer

Product designers are involved in the conceptualization and design of new products. This course may be helpful for product designers developing new robotic solutions or medical devices. The course offers an overview to the function, construction and control of microrobots. The interdisciplinary nature of the course, also, may offer a new perspective on how product design can be approached. This course may be useful for product designers interested in robotics or medical device development.

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Physicist

Physicists apply principles of physics to understand and solve problems. This course on microrobotics may be useful for physicists, since it involves the study of how very small robots function in fluid environments. The course introduces how microrobots are built and controlled, which relies directly on principles of physics. A physicist may find this course beneficial due to the intersection of a new engineering field with the principles of physics. While this course may not be directly aligned with all work physicists do, it may be useful for those interested in the physics of robotics.

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Laboratory Technician

Laboratory technicians assist scientists with experiments and research. This course introduces cutting edge research in microrobotics and may be useful to a laboratory technician working in a robotics lab. Microrobots may be part of the experiments that lab technicians will be directly involved in, and this course can provide a good introduction to the field. Understanding how they function, are built, and controlled will be helpful to laboratory technicians who work with these devices. This course enhances the knowledge of technicians working in robotics labs and may be useful to that career.

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Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Microrobotics.

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Provides a comprehensive overview of micro and nano robotics, covering fundamental principles, system design, and various applications. It serves as an excellent reference for understanding the core concepts and technologies used in microrobotics. The book offers a detailed exploration of fabrication techniques, control strategies, and application-specific designs, making it a valuable resource for students and researchers in the field. It also provides a strong foundation for understanding the challenges and opportunities in microrobotics.

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Microrobotics

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