Effect of Body Geometry on the Motile Behavior of Bacteriabots

Micro-structures with complex geometries are being increasingly utilized in many fields from micro-robotics to targeted drug delivery [1,2]. Motility of spherical microstructures actuated by an ensemble of attached bacteria has been thoroughly characterized in previous literature [2–5] but a systematic study of the effect of micro structure geometry on propulsive behavior is currently missing. Mobile microrobots along with optimal body geometries are envisioned to impact minimally invasive diagnosis, localized treatment of diseases and environmental monitoring. Limited particle diffusion and directional coefficient of drag are some of the attributes that are enhanced through such bio-hybrid systems. In this work, we have utilized a low-cost and high throughput technique to obtain non-spherical mico-particles and investigate the effect of particle shape on the motile behavior of the BacteriaBots, which are bio-hybrid microrobots consisting of living propellers (bacteria) and a synthetic body.