Programmable Assembly and Cooperative Manipulation of Heterogeneous Microspheres Via Optoelectronic Tweezers
Wenyan Niu, Ao Wang, Shunxiao Huang, jingwen ye, Zaiyang Chen, Chan Li, Hongyan Sun, Zijin Zeng, Yingjian Guo, Lin Feng
AI summary
Problem
Current optoelectronic tweezers (OET) systems excel at particle transport but lack strategies for programmable, stable, and scalable construction of functional microstructures. This work addresses how to move beyond simple transport toward precise micro-architecture assembly and multi-actuator control.
Approach
The researchers use silver-coated polystyrene microspheres as active actuators and polystyrene microspheres as passive payloads, manipulating them with spatially patterned light and tuned AC electric fields to form modular units and control their collective motion.
Key results
- Identified optimal 100 kHz driving frequency for maximum composite unit velocity
- Achieved programmable core-satellite and satellite-core assemblies with tunable coordination angles
- Demonstrated cooperative dual-actuator effect enabling stable circular trajectory tracking
- Constructed modular chain-like structures exceeding 172 μm to validate scalability
Why it matters
Establishes a scalable, programmable framework for designing modular micro-robotic systems with direct applications in targeted drug delivery and biomedical micromanipulation.
Abstract
The programmable assembly and actuation of micro- and nanostructures remain key challenges in the development of micro-robotics. This work presents a programmable assembly and cooperative actuation strategy for heterogeneous microspheres based on optoelectronic tweezers (OET). By employing Ag-PS microspheres as actuators and PS microspheres as payloads, we constructed stable “actuator–payload” units and investigated their frequency response and dynamic characteristics. The proposed method enables controlled assembly into core–satellite and satellite–core configurations with tunable coordination angles. Furthermore, the cooperative effect of the dual actuating units was revealed, enabling the composite system to maintain a continuous and precise circular trajectory following a ring-shaped light pattern. In addition, the modular assembly strategy was used to construct chain-like structures exceeding 172 μm in length, thereby confirming the approach's scalability. This work expands the application of OET from particle transport to modular microstructure construction and multi-actuator cooperative control, offering new opportunities for designing microbotic systems and their biomedical applications.