Effect of surface interactions and geometry on the motion of micro bio robots

Micro Bio Robots (MBRs) are synthetic microstructures with a monolayer of flagellated bacteria adhered to the surface. The flagella of the bacteria propel the microstructure causing it to rotate and translate in a fluidic environment on a planar surface in the absence of external forces. This paper investigates the force contributions of bacteria adhered to the edge versus the center of the microstructure by selectively altering their behavior using near-UV light. In particular, we investigate the forces that cause predominant clockwise MBR rotation when viewed from above. Additionally, asymmetric shapes, particularly gears, are used to compare the effect of the adherent bacteria with that of collisions among free-swimming bacteria and the microstructure. We find that bacteria adhered near the edge of the MBR interact with the glass substrate under the MBR, accounting for statistically biased clockwise rotation of MBRs. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.