Surface tension gradients are at the origin of the self-motion and deformation of millimeter-
sized floating objects. For (quasi-) non-deformable systems, like solids and gels, the motion …

Many bio-inspired robots have been developed so far after careful investigation of animals'
locomotion. To successfully apply the locomotion of natural counterparts to robots for …

The development of self-propelled motors that mimic biological motors is an important
challenge for the transport of either themselves or some material in a small space, since …

Millimeter-sized gel particles loaded with camphor and floating at the interface between
water and air generate convective flows around them. These flows give rise to repulsive …

Marangoni propulsion is a form of locomotion wherein an asymmetric release of surfactant
by a body located at the surface of a liquid leads to its directed motion. We present in this …

Cyclic actuation is critical for driving motion and transport in living systems, ranging from
oscillatory motion of bacterial flagella to the rhythmic gait of terrestrial animals. These …

A liquid marble is a droplet coated with hydrophobic particles. A floating liquid marble is a
unique reactor platform for digital microfluidics. The autonomous motion of a liquid marble is …

We report the design of autonomous motors powered by the rapid depolymerization reaction
of poly (2-ethyl cyanoacrylate)(PECA), an FDA-approved polymer. Motors were fabricated in …

Quantitative information on the parameters associated with self-propelled objects would
enhance the potential of this research field; for example, finding a realistic way to develop a …

We investigated the solvent driven motion of lithographically structured poly-N-
isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm) gels. The gels were soaked in ethanol and then transferred …