Abstract
This paper reports demonstration of a light-regulated bio-micro-robot powered by a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster dorsal vessel (DV) (insect heart muscle tissue). First, we expressed transgenic DV tissue of blue light-sensitive cation channel, Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) into the cell membrane of the DV tissue. These DV tissues were assembled into a micro-cantilever made of poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The ChR2-DV tissue contracted synchronously with blue light irradiation. These DV tissues were contraction changed by irradiation light intensity. Second, we developed two degree of freedom robot arm driven by ChR2-DV tissues. The robot arm can control independently horizontal and perpendicularity displacement. Using these ChR2-DV contractions with blue light, we succeeded in drawing a triangle trajectory. These results show that the light-regulated muscle-powered actuator and wet robotics will have various applications.
