At the University of Utah Robotics Center, research in milliscale/mesoscale, microscale, and nanoscale robotics is aimed at far-reaching applications from healthcare to materials science. Our interdisciplinary approach combines expertise in robotics, mechatronics, physics, and biomedical engineering. One major focus is on tiny engineered devices that swim and crawl (with a particular strength in the use of magnetic fields for actuation and control), as well as the study of biological organisms that serve as their inspiration. Another major focus is on ultraprecise positioning and manipulation, for applications ranging from microsurgery to high-speed nano-resolution scanning-probe-based imaging systems.
