Handle With Care: Mobile Microgrippers Pick Up Cells in a Pinch
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
In APL Bioengineering, researchers designed a force-sensing miniature robot, called a mobile microgripper, to handle cell spheroids with care. The MMG resembles the gripping part of the claw toy, made of two arms connected by a hinge for a controlled -- and gentle -- gripping. It's controlled by magnets, which are biocompatible with spheroids, decreasing the risk of collateral damage, and the gripping force is monitored and adjusted in real time, allowing researchers to adapt to the delicate nat