Tiny AI-Powered Robots Could Soon Swim Through Your Bloodstream to Deliver Life-Saving Treatments

Scientists at Lehigh University have made a major breakthrough in biomedical engineering with AI-driven microswimmers—tiny robotic swimmers that could revolutionize drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and fertility treatments.

Sperm and Fertility depiction.

Image Credit: WindNight/Shutterstock.com

Led by assistant professor Ebru Demir and backed by the NSF CAREER Award, this research combines robotics, machine learning, and fluid dynamics to optimize microswimmer formations for navigating the body's complex fluids. By unlocking how these tiny robots move through biological environments, Demir’s work could lay the foundation for more precise and effective medical treatments.

Background

Artificial microswimmers, inspired by microorganisms like bacteria and sperm, hold significant promise for medical advancements. These tiny robots could deliver drugs, assist in surgeries, or support fertility treatments. However, their movement in the body’s complex fluids—such as blood, which has non-Newtonian properties—remains a challenge.

Ebru Demir, an assistant professor at Lehigh University, is addressing this issue by incorporating AI into centimeter-scale robotic swimmers. Supported by the NSF CAREER Award, her research combines experiments, simulations, and machine learning to explore the physics of microswimmer behavior in groups, paving the way for real-world biomedical applications.

AI-Driven Microswimmers

Demir’s research focuses on understanding how groups of microswimmers interact and move in complex fluid environments. Unlike individual swimmers, groups exhibit emergent behaviors shaped by hydrodynamic interactions and fluid properties.

To investigate these dynamics, Demir embedded microcontrollers with reinforcement learning algorithms into 3D-printed robotic swimmers. These AI-driven swimmers adapt their movements based on real-time feedback, optimizing speed and efficiency in group formations.

Experiments will test microswimmers in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids to simulate real bodily environments like blood. By comparing swimmer behavior in these different conditions with AI-driven simulations, Demir aims to determine the most efficient formations and movement strategies.

This research not only enhances our understanding of microswimmer dynamics but also lays the groundwork for practical applications, such as navigating the bloodstream for precise drug delivery.

Biomedical Applications of Microswimmers

The potential applications of this research are vast. In medicine, microswimmers could deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells, reducing side effects or dissolve blood clots without the need for anticoagulants. In fertility treatments, they could assist sperm with low motility, improving fertilization chances.

Demir’s work builds on previous research demonstrating microswimmer-assisted sperm movement, but her focus on AI-driven adaptive systems pushes the technology further.

By enabling swimmers to communicate and adjust their behavior dynamically, her research could lead to more effective and versatile medical tools. For instance, a swarm of microswimmers could change formation in real time to navigate narrow blood vessels or overcome obstacles, enhancing the precision and efficiency of medical procedures. These innovations could redefine minimally invasive treatments and personalized medicine, offering new possibilities for patients with complex conditions.

Conclusion

Ebru Demir’s research on AI-driven microswimmers marks a significant step forward in understanding their collective behavior in complex biological fluids.

By combining robotics, machine learning, and fluid dynamics, her work has the potential to drive advances in targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgeries, and fertility treatments. Supported by the NSF CAREER Award, her innovative approach not only contributes to scientific knowledge but also addresses real-world medical challenges, demonstrating the power of engineering and technology in improving healthcare.

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Source:

P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science

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