Maria Guix Noguera Department of Physical Chemistry University of Barcelona SPAIN

Bioinspired microrobots engineered from living and synthetic materials

The basic key parameters to design synthetic nano and microrobots have been explored for the last two decades, demonstrating extensive applications in the biomedical and the environmental field. Particularly, the development of biohybrid robotics platforms triggers a great interest due to the unique properties coming from its biological elements, such as self-healing, adaptability, or bio-sensing capabilities, which are challenging to obtain in their artificial counterparts. By drawing inspiration from natural motion patterns or directly incorporating living organisms into robotic platforms across various scales, we aim to develop advanced micro- and mesorobots with integrated control systems for enhanced functionality. These systems can enable precise guidance or real-time feedback on robot performance (e.g., force exertion). This discussion will focus on the essential features of next-generation robots using synthetic or living com¬ponents as active materials, alongside the major challenges and potential applications.