Light Sailboats: Laser driven autonomous microrobots
Optics
2012-11-13 v1 Biological Physics
Classical Physics
Abstract
We introduce a system of light driven microscopic autonomous moving particles that move on a flat surface. The design is simple, yet effective: Micrometer sized objects with wedge shape are produced by photopolymerization, they are covered with a reflective surface. When the area of motion is illuminated perpendicularly from above, the light is deflected to the side by the wedge shaped objects, in the direction determined by the position and orientation of the particles. The momentum change during reflection provides the driving force for an effectively autonomous motion. The system is an efficient tool to study self propelled microscopic robots.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1211.2653,
title = {Light Sailboats: Laser driven autonomous microrobots},
author = {Anrdás Búzás and Lóránd Kelemen and Anna Mathesz and László Oroszi and Gaszton Vizsnyiczai and Tamás Vicsek and Pál Ormos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1211.2653},
year = {2012}
}