CompMath Seminar - Ratnadeep Pramanik, University of Groningen

Title: Magnetic soft robotic swimmers and swarms

Abstract:

Nature-inspired small-scale magnetic soft robotic swimmers (MSRS) are potential candidates for challenging biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and deep internal wound dressing, owing to their abilities of remote control, miniaturization, precise path maneuvering, and localization. From a materials perspective, MSRS are magneto-responsive soft composites that have the ability to shape-morph under external magnetic fields in a predefined manner. During their intended application, MSRS typically propel through a viscous fluid at a very low Reynolds number environment (Stokes flow). At such small length scales, inertial effects have no contribution whatsoever. Therefore, MSRS employs various nonreciprocal motion strategies to swim and enable net propulsion. We perform fully coupled numerical simulations to study and compare their steady-state swimming behavior, while simultaneously accounting for magnetics, solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, and large deformation fluid-structure interaction. Finally, we study the emergent behavior of their aggregates (swarms) and their spatiotemporal patterning through fluid-mediated hydrodynamic interactions.