Controllable printing device and printing method for multi-morphic mobile robots

Abstract

A controllable printing device and method for multi-morphological mobile robots belong to the field of mobile robot fabrication technology. This invention addresses the problem of the inability to achieve rapid and controllable fabrication of micro-mobile robots. The device includes three needles of different specifications, nested together, with the needle tips forming a stepped arrangement of inner, middle, and outer needles from longest to shortest. The middle and outer needles each have corresponding connected auxiliary injection tubes. The method uses the printing device to controllably print the mobile robot. This invention is used for the fabrication of mobile robots.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a controllable printing device and printing method for multi-morphological mobile robots, belonging to the field of mobile robot manufacturing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, fabrication systems based on coaxial needles are mainly used in electrospinning and filament extrusion printing, with relatively little research on the fabrication of multi-morphological robots. While existing multi-morphological robot fabrication systems based on coaxial needles can fabricate various types of robots, they have significant limitations: the dimensions of the fabricated robots lack effective controllability, and dimensional adjustments primarily rely on changing the type of needle that makes up the coaxial needle. Therefore, each time the robot size is changed, it is often necessary to redesign and fabricate the coaxial needle, or modify or even replace the printing material, lacking flexible dimensional control methods. Thus, existing technologies cannot achieve rapid and controllable fabrication of multi-morphological robots, limiting their practical application potential.

[0003] Microrobot technology, as an emerging interdisciplinary field, enables precise control and efficient movement of micro-mobile drug-carrying / cell robots in liquid environments, facilitating accurate drug delivery. Furthermore, microrobots fabricated using hydrogel materials offer advantages such as good biocompatibility, allowing for natural degradation after task completion without environmental pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a device and method for efficiently and controllably printing multi-morphological mobile robots. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problem that micro-mobile robots cannot be manufactured quickly and controllably, this invention provides a controllable printing device and method for multi-morphological mobile robots.

[0005] The present invention provides a controllable printing device for a multi-morphological swimming robot, comprising three needle tubes of different specifications, which are nested together, and the nested needles form a stepped arrangement of inner needles, middle needles and outer needles from long to short.

[0006] The middle and outer needle tubes of the three needle tubes each have corresponding connected auxiliary injection tubes.

[0007] According to the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic swimming robot of the present invention, the inner layer needle tube has the smallest diameter and the inner layer needle is the thinnest and longest, while the outer layer needle tube has the largest diameter and the corresponding outer layer needle is the thickest and shortest.

[0008] According to the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic swimming robot of the present invention, the auxiliary injection tube is vertically connected to the corresponding needle tube.

[0009] This invention also provides a printing method for a controllable printing device for a multi-morphic mobile robot, comprising controlling the printing of the mobile robot based on the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic mobile robot, including:

[0010] Inject the corresponding solutions into the inner and middle needles, and adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid.

[0011] Gas is injected into the outer needle to compress the middle needle, and airflow is used to control the output of droplets from the middle needle through the middle needle tip; the inner needle is controlled to output droplets through the inner needle tip; by controlling the size and timing of the output droplets from the middle and inner needle tips, the output droplets form a swimming robot in the reaction solution.

[0012] According to the printing method of the controllable printing device for multi-morphological swimming robots of the present invention, the swimming robots include bacterial swimming robots, yin-yang ball robots, dual-tailed swimming robots, and ball-and-wire structure robots.

[0013] The printing method of the controllable printing device for multimorphic swimming robots according to the present invention, the printing method of the bacterial swimming robot includes:

[0014] The preparation solution is injected into the inner needle, and the preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle needle.

[0015] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0016] First, the inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip to the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form the robot tail.

[0017] Then, the middle needle is blown and squeezed by airflow according to the size of the target robot head through the outer needle, so that the droplets output by the middle needle combine with the tail and cross-link with the reaction solution to form the robot head, thus obtaining a bacterial swimming robot with the head and tail connected.

[0018] The printing method of the controllable printing device for multi-morphic swimming robots according to the present invention, the printing method of the yin-yang ball robot includes:

[0019] A preparation solution containing platinum particles is injected into the inner layer needle, and a preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle layer needle.

[0020] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0021] The inner needle tube is squeezed and the droplets are output through the inner needle tip. At the same time, the middle needle tube is squeezed by airflow according to the preset ratio of male and female balls through the outer needle tube, so that the middle needle tip outputs droplets. Through timing control, the droplets output by the inner needle tip and the droplets output by the middle needle tip combine during the falling process and are dripped into the reaction to cross-link with the reaction liquid to form the male and female ball robot with the required ratio.

[0022] According to the printing method of the controllable printing device for multi-morphic swimming robots of the present invention, the printing method for a dual-tailed swimming robot includes:

[0023] The preparation solution is injected into the inner needle, and the preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle needle.

[0024] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0025] First, the inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip into the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form one tail of the robot. Then, the middle needle is squeezed in a timed and quantitative manner through the outer needle according to the preset head size, so that the droplets output by the middle needle tip combine with the one tail and cross-link with the reaction solution to form the robot head. The inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip into the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form the other tail of the robot, which is then connected to the head to obtain a dual-tailed swimming robot.

[0026] According to the printing method of the controllable printing device for multi-morphological swimming robots of the present invention, the preparation solution is a sodium alginate solution.

[0027] In the printing method of the controllable printing device for multi-morphic swimming robots according to the present invention, the reaction solution is a calcium chloride solution.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The printing device of this invention consists of three coaxial needles, with the needle length decreasing sequentially from the inner layer to the outer layer. By adjusting the liquid material in the middle and inner needles and the extrusion sequence, various types of robots, including bacterial-inspired swimming robots, yin-yang spherical robots, and dual-tailed swimming robots, can be fabricated. Specifically, the outer needle utilizes airflow to control the extrusion process of the middle needle, achieving precise adjustment of the droplet size and providing support for the controllable fabrication of the robot's shape and size.

[0029] This invention enables the fabrication of multi-morphological swimming robots, which possess the ability to perform efficient three-dimensional motion in complex liquid environments. Compared to existing methods, this invention has lower requirements for needle coaxiality during robot fabrication, and the fabrication process is simpler. It allows for the efficient fabrication of swimming robots of various sizes without changing needle sizes or squeezing the solution, further improving the flexibility and controllability of the fabrication process.

[0030] This invention provides a simple and practical solution for the controllable and efficient fabrication of multi-morphological swimming robots through design optimization of coaxial needle tubes. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic swimming robot described in this invention;

[0032] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic swimming robot described in this invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a bacterial-inspired swimming robot;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the Yin-Yang Sphere Robot;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a dual-tailed swimming robot;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a bacterial-inspired swimming robot; A in the diagram represents the head, and B represents the tail.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a Yin-Yang sphere robot; in the diagram, A represents the Yin hemisphere and B represents the Yang hemisphere.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a two-tailed swimming robot;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a spherical structure robot. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0043] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0044] Specific Implementation Method 1: Combination Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a controllable printing device for a multi-morphic swimming robot, including three needle tubes of different specifications. The three needle tubes are nested and connected, and the nested needle parts form a stepped arrangement of inner needle tubes, middle needle tubes and outer needle tubes from long to short.

[0045] The middle needle tube 200 and the outer needle tube 300 of the three needle tubes each have corresponding connected auxiliary injection tubes.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inner needle tube 100 has the smallest diameter and the thinnest and longest inner needle, the outer needle tube 300 has the largest diameter and the corresponding outer needle is the thickest and shortest, and the middle needle tube has a medium diameter and a medium length.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the changes in the diameter and length of the three needles are visible.

[0048] Furthermore, the auxiliary injection tube is vertically connected to the corresponding needle tube.

[0049] During the printing process using the printing device described in this embodiment, it is necessary to adjust the distance between the inner needle and the reaction liquid surface in the reaction container, as well as adjust the solution and extrusion printing sequence in the middle needle tube 200 and the inner needle tube 100. The outer needle tube 300 is used to blow the droplets formed by the extrusion of the middle needle tube 200 with airflow to control the droplet size. Ultimately, it is possible to prepare various types of robots, such as bacterial swimming robots, yin-yang ball robots, and dual-tailed swimming robots, with various size combinations.

[0050] In this embodiment, the three syringes support multiple size combinations.

[0051] Specific Implementation Method Two: Combination Figures 1 to 10 As shown, the present invention also provides a printing method for a controllable printing device for a multi-morphic mobile robot, which performs controllable printing of the mobile robot based on the controllable printing device for the multi-morphic mobile robot described in Specific Embodiment 1, including:

[0052] Inject the corresponding solutions into the inner needle 100 and the middle needle 200, and adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid.

[0053] Gas is injected into the outer needle tube 300 to compress the middle needle tube. Airflow is used to control the output of droplets from the middle needle tube through the middle needle tip. The inner needle tube is controlled to output droplets through the inner needle tip. By controlling the size and timing of the output droplets from the middle and inner needle tips, the output droplets form a swimming robot in the reaction solution.

[0054] As examples, the swimming robots include bacterial-inspired swimming robots, yin-yang ball robots, dual-tailed swimming robots, and ball-and-wire structure robots.

[0055] In nature, organisms have evolved structures that are highly adapted to their environment, thereby improving their own functions such as perception and movement, enabling them to better adapt to the environment and survive. Since the human body is mostly a liquid environment with a complex topography, robots can be designed with biomimicry in terms of structure and movement patterns to enable them to have efficient movement capabilities, so as to better adapt to the dynamic and complex three-dimensional internal environment.

[0056] Magnetic fields possess excellent biocompatibility and penetrability, enabling precise control of the movement of magnetically driven microrobots; therefore, magnetic field actuation is frequently chosen as the driving method for robots. Furthermore, the dual-mode actuation of chemical and magnetic drives in the yin-yang sphere robot not only accelerates wound healing and inhibits certain anaerobic bacteria through chemical reactions to generate oxygen, but also significantly improves the robot's controllability by leveraging the advantages of magnetic drive. The robot prepared in this embodiment incorporates magnetic powder and can be controlled using magnetic drive.

[0057] Furthermore, the printing method for the bacteria-inspired swimming robot includes:

[0058] The preparation solution is injected into the inner needle, and the preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle needle.

[0059] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0060] First, the inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip to the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form the robot tail.

[0061] Then, the middle needle is blown and squeezed by airflow according to the size of the target robot head through the outer needle, so that the droplets output by the middle needle combine with the tail and cross-link with the reaction solution to form the robot head, thus obtaining a bacterial swimming robot with the head and tail connected.

[0062] The inner syringe first extrudes the preparation solution, and the droplets fall onto the calcium chloride surface, forming liquid bridges and rapidly cross-linking to form the tail. Subsequently, the middle syringe extrudes the preparation solution containing magnetic powder, while the outer syringe, according to the preset robot head size, timely extrudes gas, causing the droplets extruded by the middle syringe to fall and combine with the tail. The combined droplets cross-link in the calcium chloride solution, forming a robot head-to-tail connection, ultimately creating a bacterial-inspired swimming robot of the desired size. This robot can achieve bacterial-inspired movement under a rotating magnetic field.

[0063] Furthermore, the printing method for the Yin-Yang ball robot includes:

[0064] A preparation solution containing platinum particles is injected into the inner layer needle, and a preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle layer needle.

[0065] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0066] The inner needle tube is squeezed and the droplets are output through the inner needle tip. At the same time, the middle needle tube is squeezed by airflow according to the preset ratio of male and female balls through the outer needle tube, so that the middle needle tip outputs droplets. Through timing control, the droplets output by the inner needle tip and the droplets output by the middle needle tip combine during the falling process and are dripped into the reaction to cross-link with the reaction liquid to form the male and female ball robot with the required ratio.

[0067] As an example, the preparation solution for the inner needle is a sodium alginate solution containing platinum particles, and the preparation solution for the middle needle is a sodium alginate solution containing magnetic powder.

[0068] The outer needle controls the extruded gas. During the printing process, by adjusting different timings or flow rates, the droplets output from the two needles combine before being added to the reaction solution, ultimately cross-linking in the calcium chloride solution to form the desired proportion of anionic / ionic sphere robots. These anionic / ionic sphere robots can achieve dual-mode actuation via chemical and magnetic fields.

[0069] Furthermore, the printing method for the dual-tailed swimming robot includes:

[0070] The preparation solution is injected into the inner needle, and the preparation solution containing magnetic powder is injected into the middle needle.

[0071] Adjust the distance between the tip of the inner needle and the surface of the reaction liquid;

[0072] First, the inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip into the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form one tail of the robot. Then, the middle needle is squeezed in a timed and quantitative manner through the outer needle according to the preset head size, so that the droplets output by the middle needle tip combine with the one tail and cross-link with the reaction solution to form the robot head. The inner needle is squeezed and droplets are output through the inner needle tip into the reaction solution, forming a liquid bridge and cross-linking to form the other tail of the robot, which is then connected to the head to obtain a dual-tailed swimming robot.

[0073] The robot is assembled by connecting and assembling a tail, a head, and another tail, ultimately forming a two-tailed swimming robot of different sizes. This robot can rotate in a rotating magnetic field to achieve three-dimensional movement in space.

[0074] As an example, the preparation solution is a sodium alginate solution.

[0075] As an example, the reaction solution is a calcium chloride solution.

[0076] In this embodiment, a variety of solutions can be selected for preparation, including but not limited to sodium alginate hydrogel solutions containing magnetic powder or platinum particles, which can be used to prepare various anion spheres and robots with sphere-wire connection structures.

[0077] This invention enables controllable adjustment of the size of multi-shaped robots without changing the size of the coaxial syringe or the type of solution.

[0078] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A printing method of a controllable printing device of a multi-form mobile robot, characterized in that, the controllable printing device of the multi-form mobile robot comprises three needle tubes of different specifications, the three needle tubes are connected in a nested manner, and the needle heads of the inner layer, the middle layer and the outer layer are arranged in a stepped manner from long to short after nesting; the middle layer needle tube and the outer layer needle tube of the three needle tubes each have a corresponding auxiliary injection tube in communication; the printing method comprises: injecting corresponding solutions into the inner layer needle tube and the middle layer needle tube, and adjusting the distance between the end of the inner layer needle head and the reaction liquid surface; injecting gas into the outer layer needle tube to form extrusion on the middle layer needle tube, and using airflow blowing to control the output of liquid droplets from the middle layer needle head by the middle layer needle tube; controlling the output of liquid droplets from the inner layer needle head by the inner layer needle tube; and controlling the size and timing of the output of liquid droplets from the middle layer needle head and the inner layer needle head to form a mobile robot in the reaction liquid; the mobile robot is a yin-yang ball robot, and the printing method of the yin-yang ball robot comprises: injecting a preparation solution containing platinum particles into the inner layer needle tube, and injecting a preparation solution containing magnetic powder into the middle layer needle tube; adjusting the distance between the end of the inner layer needle head and the reaction liquid surface; extruding the inner layer needle tube and outputting liquid droplets through the inner layer needle head, while extruding the middle layer needle tube through the middle layer needle head by airflow blowing according to a preset yin-yang ball ratio through the outer layer needle tube to output liquid droplets from the middle layer needle head; and controlling the timing so that the liquid droplets output from the inner layer needle head and the liquid droplets output from the middle layer needle head combine during falling and then drop into the reaction to crosslink with the reaction liquid to form a yin-yang ball robot with a desired ratio.

2. The printing method of the controllable printing device of the multi-form mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, the inner layer needle tube has the smallest diameter, the inner layer needle head is the thinnest and longest, the outer layer needle tube has the largest diameter, and the corresponding outer layer needle head is the thickest and shortest.

3. The printing method of the controllable printing device of the multi-form mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, the auxiliary injection tube is in vertical communication with the corresponding needle tube.

4. The printing method of the controllable printing device of the multi-form mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, the reaction liquid is a calcium chloride solution.

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