Soft magnetic microrobots with remote sensing and communication capabilities

Quan Gao, Minsoo Kim (), Denis von Arx, Elric Zhang, Xinzhi Zhang, Hao Ye, Christian Vogt, Claas Ehmke, Dianne Corsino, Federica Catania, Niko Münzenrieder, Michele Magno, Giuseppe Cantarella, Bradley J. Nelson and Salvador Pané
Additional contact information
Quan Gao: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Minsoo Kim: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Denis von Arx: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Elric Zhang: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Xinzhi Zhang: ETH Zurich, Institute of Electromagnetic Fields
Hao Ye: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Christian Vogt: ETH Zurich, Center for Project-Based Learning
Claas Ehmke: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Dianne Corsino: Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering
Federica Catania: Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering
Niko Münzenrieder: Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering
Michele Magno: ETH Zurich, Center for Project-Based Learning
Giuseppe Cantarella: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Physics, Informatics and Mathematics
Bradley J. Nelson: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Salvador Pané: ETH Zurich, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Remote communication in small-scale robotics offers a powerful way to enhance their capabilities, introducing options for state monitoring, multi-agent collaboration, and autonomous operation. Integrating common remote communication tools, such as antennas, into microrobots is challenging with conventional design and manufacturing techniques. We propose a concept that integrates shape-reconfigurable soft microrobots with flexible electronics, leveraging their elastic mechanical properties to enable remote communication. This approach, based on photolithography processes, is scalable and adaptable to various sensing applications. As a proof of concept, we present a microrobot, which integrates a thermoresponsive magnetic hydrogel, an anisotropic support structure, and a flexible dipole antenna into a cohesive three-layered design. The microrobot can morph from a helical shape at low-temperatures to a planar shape at high-temperatures. This shape transformation can be remotely detected by external radio communication receivers, enabling shape-state recognition and environmental temperature sensing. Furthermore, we show that the collective behavior of multiple microrobots enhances the recognition performance by amplifying the signal. The concept represents a significant advancement in co-engineering smart materials and flexible electronics, illustrating an approach of microrobotic embodied intelligence by integrating environmental monitoring, magnetic navigation, and remote signaling.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65459-8

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