Research Highlight Soft Microsystems - A Paradigm Shift in Engineering Small Systems

Conventional microsystems including sensors and actuators are made of rigid materials such as silicon because of their origin from the microelectronics. However, most micro- and nanosytems found in the nature are made of soft materials allowing them to deform or even morph depending on the task and external environment. The deformability allows natural microsystems to exceed the performance of their rigid micromachined counterparts. Inspired by nature, recent research efforts have been focused on soft microsystems including sensors, actuators and microfluidic platforms, promising a completely new approach in engineering small systems with a broad range of applications.