[1] The second type, the helical spermbot, is a small helix structure which captures and transports single immotile sperm cells.
Other approaches exist to create purely synthetic microdevices inspired by the swimming of natural sperm cells, i.e. with a biomimetic design, for example so-called Magnetosperm which are made of a flexible polymeric structure coated with a magnetic layer and can be actuated by a magnetic field.
Later on, the microtubes were made from a temperature-responsive polymer to enable the controlled release of the sperm cells upon a small temperature change of a few degrees.
[6] Tubular spermbots are assembled by adding a large amount of the microtubes to a diluted sperm sample under the microscope.
[9] Spermbots hold promise for potential application in single cell manipulation and assisted reproduction, but also for targeted drug delivery.
Robotic sperms as microswimmers are interesting for diverse biomedical applications, specifically for new assisted fertilization techniques and for the targeted delivery of therapeutic cargo.
These microswimmers are meant to operate in in vivo environments, a feature that may revolutionize assisted reproduction technologies and nanomedicine in the future.