Magnetic miniature robots for in vivo intervention

Magnetically actuated miniature robots offer a promising strategy for intrabody diagnosis and therapy with high spatial precision. However, precise navigation through narrow, tortuous lumens remains challenging due to key bottlenecks, including biosafety, adaptability to dynamic physiological environments, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. Inspired by the multimodal locomotion of insects, we developed microrobotic platforms for in vivo intervention within submillimeter segments of the gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, and cerebrospinal fluid pathways. The platform integrates conventional interventional tools (endoscopes, catheters, and guidewires) with magnetic actuation setup and clinical imaging systems into an integrated system, enabling precise and controllable deployment of miniature robots to deep, branched, and confined ducts. The magnetic navigation system steers and actuates miniature robots into submillimeter side branches that are inaccessible to the clinical interventional tools, enabling localized delivery of cells and therapeutics. Our results pave the way for intelligent miniature robots capable of performing minimally invasive medical tasks, particularly in regenerative medicine.

Ben Wang is an Associate Professor at Shenzhen University and a recipient of the Guangdong Outstanding Young Scholar. His research focuses on the fundamental science and key technologies of magnetically controlled microrobotic systems. He has published over 60 papers as first or corresponding author in journals, including Science Robotics (2), Nature Biomedical Engineering, Science Advances (2), National Science Review, and Matter. His work has received the Second Prize of the Natural Science Award from the Chinese Institute of Electronics, was selected as one of Hong Kong’s Top Ten Innovation and Technology News stories, and has been recognized in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list from 2023 to 2025. He was also named one of the Top Ten Young Faculty Members of Shenzhen University. Dr. Wang serves as a committee member of the Biomanufacturing Division in Society of Chinese Mechanical Engineering. He is served as an Associate Editor of Advanced Bionics; early-career editorial board member of Research, Soft Science, SmartBot, and BMEMat.