Muscle-actuated biomimetic hydrogel-based 3D microskeleton

This paper reports on a biomimetic microskeleton actuated by muscle fibers (figure 1(a)). The 3D microskeleton is based on concatenated rib elements fabricated by two-photon polymerization of a custom-made hydrogel (figure 1(b)). For the first time, micrometer-sized skeletons were fabricated, overgrown with functional muscle fibers, and contracted at significant amplitudes. Compared to planar biomimetic structures, 3D microskeletons can be shaped into arbitrary complex geometries, thereby opening pathways towards muscle-driven biohybrid microrobots.