This paper presents a wireless mobile microrobot gripper for the pick-and-place bioassembly of cell spheroids, which are crucial for tissue engineering. To address the risk of cellular damage during handling, this technology integrates real-time force sensing, enabling controlled manipulation of delicate biological materials. The microscale, untethered design allows for high maneuverability during the construction of complex, multi-spheroid constructs. Experimental results demonstrate the system's effectiveness in creating precise, heterogeneous patterns while maintaining high cell viability. This force-aware microrobotic platform overcomes a barrier in biofabrication, paving the way for the gentle and precise construction of complex tissue models for biomedical engineering.
Davis et al. (Tue,) studied this question.