The development of small-scale robots (or microrobots), powered by magnetic, optical, electrical, and acoustic fields, has opened numerous possibilities in biomedicine. Various configurations of magnetic field generation systems have been devised to control single magnetic beads for mechanical force application in cellular structures, form robotic swarms for drug delivery, navigate magnetic bacteria for tumor penetration, and create microscale swimmers for biological barrier penetration, delivery, and detoxification. Electrical fields, which drive small-scale robots in unique modes of motion (e.g., stick and slip), have also been utilized to navigate bacterial-powered electrical sensing robots and drive DNA nanomotors. Optical field generation has facilitated cellular biophysical measurement and material patterning. Light has been employed as an actuator for small-scale robots in both hard and soft stimuli-response polymers. The small-scale robots have become a crucial platform technology in biophysical characterizations, drug delivery, and diagnosis. [Figure adapted from Wang et al. Science Robotics 2019.]

Expertise: Microrobotics, Medical Robotics, Microtechnology, Cell Mechanics, Tumor Biophysics, Swarm Microrobot

Lab News

2024.08.01 We welcome Avery Thomsen to join us as an undergraduate research assistant. 

2024.07.09 Annabel's paper "A Needle Biopsy Inspired Microcatheter for Rapic Tissue Mechanical Measurement" was accepted by the 28th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS) to be held in October at Montreal, Canada. 

2024.07.01 Dr. Wang gave two invited talks "Ferrofluid Microrobot for Material Delivery", and "Micro/Nano Materials for Tissue Mechanical Measurement", at the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scale (MARSS) in Delft, Netherland. 

2024.06.21 We continued to enjoy the summer of Kingston and had a "Multi-verse" Potluck with Prof. Amy Wu's and Prof. Matthew Robertson's Groups. 

2024.05.13 We presented our collaborative work with Shanghai University on a Capsule Robot for Gastrointestinal Sampling, at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Yokohama, Japan. 

2024.05.08 Dr. Xian Wang was awarded the prestigious Banting Discovery Award from Banting Discovery Foundation for his work in microrobotics. 

2024.05.01 We welcome Michael De Miglio and William Ronan to join our group this summer. Michael will work with Dr. Wang to prepare measurement labs, and Will will work with Dr. Wang on the development of a new mechatronics course. 

2024.04.22 Our lab was awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant and NSERC Discovery Grant Launch Supplement!

2024.04.04 Our lab was awarded a Research Opportunity Seed Fund by the Ingenuity Labs, together with Prof. Amy Wu, Prof. Keyvan Hashtrudi-Zaad, and Prof. Matthew Robert groups. We hope it will further foster our collaborations in medical robotics. 

2024.02.28 Amina Najib was awarded an NSERC undergraduate research award. Congratulations, Amina!

2024.02.01 Our lab received funding from MITACS Globalink, and we will host one international student during the summer of 2024. 

2024.01.03 We welcome Cun Wang and Ruicheng Li to join our group as a master's student and an undergrad thesis student. 

2023.12.07 Congratulations to Aiden, Ethan (M), Ethan (R), and Alex for successfully presenting their Capstone design project. 

2023.11.11 Dr. Wang joined the CIHR-ICR Early Career Researcher workshop, sponsored by CIHR.

2023.11.10 Dr. Wang gave a talk at Dalhousie University. Thank you Prof. Jason Gu for hosting. 

2023.10.09 Dr. Wang presented our research at the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation, and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS) held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

2023.09.05 Our collaboration paper at Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences "Indentation Induces Instantaneous Nuclear Stiffening and Unfolding of Nuclear Evenlope Wrinkles" was online. Congratulations Wentian Tang, Prof. Yu Sun, and all co-authors. 

2023.09.01 We welcome Zhaokai Wang to join our group as our first Ph.D. student! 

2023.08.22 We co-hosted the "Ontario Symposium on Micro and Nanotechnology" with Prof. Yongjun Lai, and Prof. Carlos Escobedo. Our colleagues across the province have joined the event. Dr. Wang gave a talk during the symposium. Aiden and Josh won the best poster award. 

2023.08.02 Our lab officially joined the Ingenuity Labs research institute. We looking forward to collaborations at the Ingenuity Labs.

2023.07.11 Dr. Wang gave an invited talk at the "Southern Ontario Microscale Medical Robotics Symposium".

2023.07.11 Our collaboration review paper at ACS Nano "Micro/Nanorobotic Swarms: From Fundamentals to Functionalities". Congratulations Dr. Junhui Law, Prof. Yu Sun, and all co-authors. 

2023.05.01 We welcome our summer students Aiden and Josh to join our group. Congratulations to Aiden for being awarded an undergraduate student summer research fellowship. 

2023.03.09 Our paper at Science Advances "Mechanical Nanosurgery of Chemoresistant Glioblastoma using Magnetically Controlled Carbon Nanotubes" was online. 

2023.03.01 Dr. Xian Wang was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.