Wireless aquatic robot could clean water

Photo: Nando Harmsen

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology developed a tiny plastic robot, made of responsive polymers, which moves under the influence of light and magnetism. In the future this ‘wireless aquatic polyp’ should be able to attract and capture contaminant particles from the surrounding liquid or pick up and transport cells for analysis in diagnostic devices. The researchers published their results in the journal PNAS.

The mini robot is inspired by a coral polyp; a small soft creature with tentacles, which makes up the corals in the ocean. The developed wireless artificial polyp is 1 by 1 cm, has a stem that reacts to magnetism, and light steered tentacles. The tentacles move by shining light on them. Different wavelengths lead to different results. For example, the tentacles ‘grab’ under the influence of UV light, while they ‘release’ with blue light. The device now presented can grab and release objects underwater, which is a new feature of the light-guided package delivery mini robot the researchers presented earlier this year. This land-based robot couldn’t work underwater, because the polymers making up that robot act through photothermal effects. The heat generated by the light fueled the robot, instead of the light itself. Doctoral candidate Marina Pilz Da Cunha and her colleagues therefore developed a photomechanical polymer material that moves under the influence of light and is not sensitive to heat. Furthermore, this new material can hold its deformation after being activated by light. While the photothermal material immediately returns to its original shape

after the stimuli has been removed, the molecules in the photomechanical material actually take on a new state. This allows different stable shapes, to be maintained for a longer period of time. That helps to control the gripper arm; once something has been captured, the robot can keep holding it until it is addressed by light once again to release it. By placing a rotating magnet underneath the robot, the stem circles around its axis (see video). According to Pilz Da Cunha, it was therefore possible to actually move floating objects in the water towards the polyp, in this case oil droplets. The position of the tentacles (open, closed or something in between), turned out to have an influence on the fluid flow. Computer simulations, with different tentacle positions, eventually helped to understand and get the movement of the stem exactly right. And to ‘attract’ the oil droplets towards the tentacles.

An added advantage is that the robot operates independently from the composition of the surrounding liquid. This is unique, because the dominant stimuli-responsive material used for underwater applications nowadays, hydrogels, are sensitive for their environment. Hydrogels therefore behave differently in contaminated water. The robot also works in the same way in salt water, or water with contaminants. In fact, in the future the polyp may be able to filter contaminants out of the water by catching them with its tentacles. PhD student Pilz Da Cunha is now working on the next step: an array of polyps that can work together. She hopes to re-

Design of artificial aquatic polyp. (A) Photograph of a marine polyp, reproduced with permission from photographer Robin Jeffries. (B) The artificial polyp inspired by the design of marine polyps. The device is composed of two LCN films with planar alignment that operate as the device’s grasping ‘arms.’ The LCNs are connected to a flexible PDMS/iron oxide pillar with a drop of UV-curable glue. The LCN is a highly cross-linked network containing azobenzene diacrylate mesogens, A1. (C, i) Upon rotation of a magnet underneath the polyp, the structure undergoes a bending and rotational motion which when submerged in a fluid causes an effective flow. (C, ii) Upon UV light irradiation the polyp is made to close and blue light reversibly opens the structure

alize transport of particles, in which one polyp passes on a package to the other.

This research was published in PNAS magazine on July 13th. Carried out at the department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems of Eindhoven University and Technology, titled ‘An Artificial Aquatic Polyp that Wirelessly Attracts, Grasps and Releases Objects.’ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2004748117

It’s online>

TU Eindhoven>

Video by Marina Pilz Da Cunha

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Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) supports companies with international ambitions

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is an initiative of the European Commission that supports entrepreneurs in seeking partners to innovate and do business abroad. The Network is active in more than 60 countries worldwide. It brings together 3,000 experts from more than 600 member organisations – all renowned for their excellence in business support.

Database

Every company can participate by adjusting its profile to the database. This company will be brought to the attention in the country in which it wants to become active. At the same time it is possible to search for partners. EEN advisers actively assist in compiling the profile, which is drawn up in a certain format. The EEN websites also contain foreign companies that are looking for Dutch companies and organizations for commercial or technological cooperation. The EEN advisers support the search for a cooperation partner by actively deploying contacts within the network. In addition, Company Missions and Match Making Events are regularly organized. All these services are free of charge.

There are five types of profiles:

Business Offer: the company offers a product

Business Request: the company is looking for a product

Technology Offer: the company offers a technology

Technology Request: the company is looking for a technology

Research & Development Request: the organization seeks cooperation for research

When a company has both a Business Offer and a Business Request (or another combination), two (or even more if applicable) profiles are created. The profile includes the most essential

Video: How Enterprise Europe Network works

information about the nature of the supply or demand, the ‘type of partner’ that is intended and the expected cooperation structure.

Get in touch with your local network contact point by selecting the country and city closest to where your business is based. They can help you with advice, support and opportunities for international partnerships.

For sustainable building and the creative industry, contact ir. drs. Hans Kamphuis: T: +31 (0) 88 042 1124 M: 06 25 70 82 76 E: hans.kamphuis@rvo.nl

For Materials contact Nils Haarmans: T: +31 (0) 88 062 5843 M: 06 21 83 94 57

More information websites can be found at the Europe Network websites:

www.enterpriseeuropenetwork.nl

http://een.ec.europa.eu

Virtual Company Misson to Splastica

Enterprise Europe Network would like to invite you to participate in the Virtual Company Mission to Splastica a company that developed bioplastic that can be produced with milk leftovers, on 19 November 2020, 15:00 CET. The company’s technology allows the production of new 100 % biodegradable and compostable bioplastic materials, based on natural polymers, made from milk leftovers using an eco-sustainable synthesis to.

Register>

The Virtual Company Mission: Green bioplastic produced with milk leftovers is part of the EEN event Smart Manufacturing Matchmaking 2020 - Virtual Edition.

Virtual trade mission Olympic Games Paris 2024

Welcome to the virtual trade mission Olympic Games Paris 2024. The mission facilitates Dutch and French companies active in the sectors sustainable construction, sports infrastructure and environmental technology in gaining market information and new business contacts leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. We invite you to register yourself on this platform to participate in the different sessions and engage in one-on-one video conversations with potential business partners.

Programme Items

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Kick-off seminar on Wednesday 9 December 2020 with Ms Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and high level French representatives. Webinars and informations sessions. Focus on the large infrastructure project Grand Paris Express. Individual matchmaking and matchmaking on your own initiative.

Who will benefit most from this event?

We particularly recommend the participation of private sector representatives interested in the French market active in the sectors sustainable construction, sports infrastructure and environmental technology. During this online event representatives and specialists from the aforementioned sectors will share their knowledge and insights with you.

Register or find more information about this website: https://virtual-trade-mission-os2024-france.b2match.io>

15 December 2020 - online public event Meeting Materials

What began in 1997 as an annual meeting for the Dutch materials science community, existing of a dozen researchers, students and our industrial partners has blossomed into an invigorating event about innovations in materials. This year we expect over 400 participants, representatives from SME’s to renowned industrial manufacturing companies, and from international universities and research institutes. Different than usual and earlier announcements, this year the M2i Conference will take place virtually. The Program consists of interesting workshops and presentations and of course a lot of opportunities to expand your network. Meeting Materials is free of charge and open for everyone who is interested in materials development. The conference is an opportunity to learn about the latest insights and developments in the field of innovative and smart materials, along with ways in which these materials can stimulate economic progress and a sustainable society. This day is co-organised with 4TU.HTM and supported by the Bond voor Materialenkennis (BvM).

Special topics National Agenda Materials by prof.dr. Polman

The MaterialenNL platform consists of the bundling of academic parties, applied research organizations, universities of applied sciences and industrial parties and sector organizations. On behalf of the Top Sectors Chemistry, Energy and High Tech Systems & Materials, the platform has complied this agenda. It demonstrates that the Dutch economy largely depends on materials and that new and improved materials have an enormous impact on our daily lives. The agenda describes the research directions in which these parties wish to collaborate.

Additive Manufacturing Design Contest for Young Engineers

During its annual conference Meeting Materials, M2i will organise an open Additive Manufacturing Design Contest for young engineers. Therefore all young engineers and researchers are invited to design a novel product, to be printed with wire arc additive manufacturing.

More information and registration for the Design Contest>

Topics of the other sessions:

• • • • •

Durability & Reliability of Structures Tribology Qualify & Hechting II Additive Manufacturing & Metals Materials for Energy

Keynote Speakers

M2i is very happy to announce this year’s Keynote Speakers: Prof.dr. B.M. Weckhuysen (University of Utrecht), Mr. A. Offringa (GKN Aerospace), Prof.dr. L.P.H. de Goey (Eindhoven University of Technology), Mr. J. Broekhuijsen (Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding) and Prof.dr. M.A. Loi (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen).

The corona crisis makes it uncertain whether events will actually take place on the scheduled date. Many events are postponed, sometimes to 2021. The Agenda below shows the state of affairs as of November 2020. For recent updates: www.innovatiememmaterialen.nl

Architect@Work 2020 Deutschland 25 - 26 November 2020, Wiesbaden

European Bioplastics Conference 1 - 2 December 2020, Vienna

JEC World 2021 9 - 11 March 2021, Paris

EuroBLECH 2021, 9 - 12 March 2021, Hannover

Lijmen 26 November 2020, Veldhoven

World Biomaterials Congress, 11 - 15 December 2020, online

International Symposium on Bituminous Materials 14 - 16 December 2020, Lyon

Meating Materials 2020 15 December 2020, online

Additive Manufacturing Forum 2021 11 - 12 March 2021, Berlin

Solids 2021 17 - 18 March 2021, Dortmund

9th Conference on CO2-based Fuels and Chemicals

23 - 24 March 2021, Cologne

Metav reloaded 2021 23 - 26 March 2021, Düsseldorf

BAU 2021 13 - 15 January 2021, Munich

2nd International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2 - 3 Febuary 2021, Cologne

NGA glass conference 2021, 9 Febuary 2021, online

Ulmer Betontage 2021 23 - 25 Febuary 2021, Ulm

Maintenance Dortmund 2021 24 - 25 February 2021

Lijmen België 6 April 2021, KU Leuven Campus Brugge

Hannover Messe 12 - 16 April 2021, Hannover

Steinexpo 2021, 14 - 17 April 2021, Homberg

Nordbygg 2021 20 - 23 April 2021, Stockholm

Nederlandse Metaaldagen 21 - 23 April 2021, Den Bosch

Innovative Materials, the international version of the Dutch magazine Innovatieve Materialen, is now available in English. Innovative Materials is an interactive, digital magazine about new and/or innovatively applied materials. Innovative Materials provides information on material innovations, or innovative use of materials. The idea is that the ever increasing demands lead to a constant search for better and safer products as well as material and energy savings. Enabling these innovations is crucial, not only to be competitive but also to meet the challenges of enhancing and protecting the environment, like durability, C2C and carbon footprint. By opting for smart, sustainable and innovative materials constructors, engineers and designers obtain more opportunities to distinguish themselves. As a platform Innovative Materials wants to help to achieve this by connecting supply and demand.

Innovative Materials is distributed among its own subscribers/network, but also through the networks of the partners. In 2019 this includes organisations like M2i, MaterialDesign, 4TU (a cooperation between the four Technical Universities in the Netherlands), the Bond voor Materialenkennis (material sciences), SIM Flanders, FLAM3D, RVO and Material District.