Abstract-Many science fiction novels have envisioned swarms of artificial microrobots capable of performing complex collective tasks. Unfortunately, today's technological constraints have prevented such powerful concept to be a reality when considering artificial microrobots. In this paper, we show that a swarm of computer-controlled flagellated Magnetotactic Bacteria (MTB) acting as natural microrobots of approximately 1 to 2 micrometers in diameter can perform many of the same complex collective tasks envisioned with these futuristic self-propelled artificial microrobots. To prove the concept, magnetotaxis-based control has been used to coordinate a swarm made of thousands of these self-propelled natural microrobots to build in a collective effort, a miniature version of an ancient Egyptian pyramid.
In REF , a swarm of flagellated magnetotactic bacteria was used to to build a pyramid out of building blocks in the micrometer range.
Using a swarm of self-propelled natural microrobots in the form of flagellated bacteria to perform complex micro-assembly tasks
2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
Engineering Computer Science