Fabricating Autonomous Machines for the Cellular Scale*

This talk presents a new approach for fabricating cell-sized robots that can explore their environment, be manufactured en masse, and carry the full power of silicon-based information technology. We fabricate 10 to 100 um walking robots that are powered and controlled wirelessly using embedded silicon photovoltaics. Our robots walk using a new class of voltage controllable, electrochemical actuators made from nanometer thick membranes of platinum. These actuators impose low power requirements yet can carry loads ten thousand times their own weight. Moreover, actuation only requires 200 mV signals, facilitating straightforward integration with silicon microelectronics. Combine, these results present a broad platform that can unite mechanical systems, information processing and control into autonomous robots that operate at the cellular scale.