Transfers, Interfaces & Processes (TIPs)

Research topics

Soft/Wet microrobotics

Presentation

Soft/Wet microrobotics researches are developed along 3 axis: fluidic or capillary microrobotics (based on physics of fluids),  soft microrobotics (based on elasticity and materials) and microfabrication. Our work is devoted to answering scientific questions relate to physics of fluids and materials. Our methods relate to mechanical engineering: modelling and simulation, manufacturing (down to 200nm), design, dynamics and control, experimental force measurement (down to 1nN). The applications fields cover micromanipulation, drug delivery, medical devices, industrial micro-assembly.

Building on advances in miniaturization and soft matter, surface tension effects are a major key to the development of soft/fluidic microrobotics. Capillary effects benefit from scaling, and surface tension of liquid provides structural properties, actuation, adhesion, confinement and compliance, which are all functions necessary in micro and nanosystems. Various applications are under development: microfluidic and LOC devices, soft gripping and manipulation of particles, colloidal and interfacial assemblies, fluidic/droplet mechatronics. The capillary action is ubiquitous in drops, bubbles and menisci, opening a broad spectrum of technological solutions and scientific investigations. 

Identified grand challenges to the emergence of fluidic microrobotics include speeding up the process (how to master the dynamics of surface tension effects?), the mastering of the hysteresis arising from wetting and evaporation, the improvement of dispensing and handling of tiny droplets, to develop a mechatronics approach for the control of surface tension effects.

Our microfabrication facilities involve world-class equipment such as Nanoscribe Photonics GT, as well as simple 3D printers for rapid prototyping. These pieces of equipment are operated among the MicroMilli platform.

Contact: Pierre Lambert

Media

Researchers

Selected publications

De Lara, M.T., Droz, L.A., Chah, K., Lambert, P., Collette, C., & Caucheteur, C. Characterization of birefringent Bragg gratings waveguides inscribed with the Femtoprint device. Results in Optics, 18, art. no. 100764. 2025

Mincheva, R., Odent, J., Abdeljawad, M.B., Martin, B., Lambert, P., & Raquez, J.M. 3D-printed gradient-like poly(L,L-lactide)-based auxetic materials for bone regeneration applications. Progress in Additive Manufacturing, art. no. 115102. 2025

Piñan Basualdo, F.N., Stephan, O., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., & Lambert, P. Pose Control of Millimeter-Scale Objects in a Laser-Powered Thermocapillary Manipulation Platform. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 29(1), 64-73. 2024

Piñan Basualdo, F.N., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., & Lambert, P. Solving the Non-Linear Motion in a Micromanipulation System Powered by Thermocapillary Flows. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(8), 4785-4790. 2023

Amez-Droz, L., Tunon de Lara, M., Collette, C., Caucheteur, C., & Lambert, P. Instrumented Flexible Glass Structure: A Bragg Grating Inscribed with Femtosecond Laser Used as a Bending Sensor. Sensors, 23(19), art. no. 8018. 2023

Barbot, A., Ortiz, F., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., & Lambert, P. Exploiting Liquid Surface Tension in Microrobotics. Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, 6, 313-334. 2023

De Lara, M.T., Amez-Droz, L., Chah, K., Lambert, P., Collette, C., & Caucheteur, C. Femtosecond pulse laser-engineered glass flexible structures instrumented with an in-built Bragg grating sensor. Optics Express, 31(18), pp. 29730 – 29743. 2023

Decroly, G., Chafaï, A., de Timary, G., Gandolfo, G., Delchambre, A., & Lambert P. A Voxel-Based Approach for the Generation of Advanced Kinematics at the Microscale. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 5(7), art. no. 2200394. 2023

Piñan Basualdo, F.N., Gardi, G., Wang, W., Demir, S.O., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., Lambert, P., & Sitti M. Control and Transport of Passive Particles Using Self-Organized Spinning Micro-Disks. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 7(2), 2156-2161. 2022

Collard, Y., Basualdo, F.N., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., Lambert, P., & Vandewalle, N. Controlled transitions between metastable states of 2D magnetocapillary crystals. Scientific Reports, 12(1), art. no. 16027. 2022

Chafaï, A., Ibrahimi, A., & Lambert, P. A Volume-Tuning Capillary Gripper That Enhances Handling Capabilities and Enables Testing of Micro-Components. Micromachines, 13(8), art. no. 1323. 2022

Blanc, L., François, B., Delchambre, A., & Lambert P. Characterization and modeling of granular jamming: models for mechanical design. Granular Matter, 23(1), art. no. 6. 2021

Piñan Basualdo, F.N., Terrazas Mallea, R., Scheid, B., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., & Lambert, P. Effect of insoluble surfactants on a thermocapillary flow. Physics of Fluids, 33(7), art. no. 072106. 2021

Decroly, G., Raffoul, R., Deslypere, C., Leroy, P., Van Hove, L., Delchambre, A., & Lambert, P. Optimization of Phase-Change Material–Elastomer Composite and Integration in Kirigami-Inspired Voxel-Based Actuators. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8, art. no. 672934. 2021

Decroly, G., Lambert, P., & Delchambre, A. A Soft Pneumatic Two-Degree-of-Freedom Actuator for Endoscopy. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8, art. no. 768236. 2021

Piñan Basualdo, F.N., Bolopion, A., Gauthier, M., & Lambert, P. A microrobotic platform actuated by thermocapillary flows for manipulation at the air-water interface. Science Robotics, 6(52), art. no. eabd3557. 2021

Chafaï, A., Vitry, Y., Dehaeck, S., Gallaire, F., Scheid, B., Colinet, P., & Lambert, P. Two-dimensional modelling of transient capillary driven damped micro-oscillations and self-alignment of objects in microassembly. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 2021

Lehmann, O., Rauch, J.-Y., Vitry, Y., Pinsard, T., Lambert, P., & Gauthier, M. Miniaturized Robotics: The Smallest Camera Operator Bot Pays Tribute to David Bowie. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 27(3), 22-28. 2020

Decroly, G., Mertens, B., Lambert, P., & Delchambre, A. Design, characterization and optimization of a soft fluidic actuator for minimally invasive surgery. International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 15, 333-340. 2020

Projects

  • FEMTOPRINT project

    Glass-based optomicromechatronics. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the FNRS
  • SWIMMERS project

    Thermo-magneto-capillary self-assembly. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the FNRS
  • NANOSCRIBE project

    3D microstructuration and microengineering of surfaces with 2 photon lithography. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the FNRS
  • Instrumented flexible glass structure (INFuSE)

    Engrave photonic functions in glass microstructures, in order to sense mechanical strains pr biochemical compounds. Microfabrication of glass-based MEMS for precision mechanics, force sensing and vibrations control. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the FNRS
  • GLASSCATH

    Instrumented multimode optical fiber tip to be inserted in the operating channel of a bronchoscope for the mechanical detection of tumoral tissues. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by ULB
  • Catheter stabilization in bronchial endoscopy

    Win4Doc project funded by the Région Wallonne (Win4Doc Grant n° 2310045), in collaboration with Lys Medical (startup company located in Belgium). PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the Région Wallonne
  • Voxels

    Soft structures made of active voxels, produced with digital manufacturing at the sub-millimetric scale, providing mobility in lung endoscopy. PI: Pierre Lambert

    Funded by the FNRS