Colloidal tubular microrobots for cargo transport and compression

Microrobot swarms have seen increased interest in recent years due to their potentials for in vivo delivery and imaging with cooperative propulsion modes and enhanced imaging signals. Yet most swarms developed so far are limited to dense particle aggregates, far simpler than complicated three-dimensional assemblies of anisotropic particles. Here, we show via assembly path design that complex hollow tubular structures can be assembled from simple isotropic colloidal spheres and those complicated, metastable, microtubes can be formed from simple, energetically favorable colloidal membranes. The assembled microtubes can remain intact and roll under a precessing magnetic field, with propulsion directions and velocities precisely controlled by field components. The hollow spaces inside enable these tubular microrobots to grab, transport, and release cargos on command. We also demonstrate unique compressing and uncompressing capabilities with our tubular microrobots, making them effective microtweezers. Our work shows that complicated microrobots can be transformed from simple assemblies, providing an insight on building micromachines.