Figure 3: Micromanipulation of microparticles by artificial setae.
From: Robust self-cleaning and micromanipulation capabilities of gecko spatulae and their bio-mimics
(a) Optical image of the biomimetic micromanipulator made of a polyester microfiber (d=10 μm, L=150 μm) with a graphene layer-decorated micro-pad at its tip, glued on an AFM tipless cantilever (front view). (b) SEM image of the micro-pad with three layers of (c) wrinkled graphene (thickness: ∼5 nm) on the top. (d) Optical image of a gecko pattern and a logo precisely assembled with SiO2 microparticles (size: d=1–25 μm) on a glass slide by the biomimetic micromanipulator. (e) Probability of particle detachment as a function of pull-off velocity, measured with 30-trials, mimicking gecko walking (shear velocity Vs=4 μm s−1, drag distance s=2 μm, and contact time tc=0). A and B in the legend refer to two micromanipulators A and B, and the numbers are values of preloads. Scale bar in a–d: 100, 10, 5, and 100 μm, respectively.
