Microrobotics and Nanorobotics: Actuation, Locomotion, and Control
A special issue of Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581). This special issue belongs to the section "Intelligent Robots and Mechatronics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 154
Special Issue Editor
Interests: functional nanofibers and nanocomposites; micro/nano actuators and sensors; biomedical micro robotic systems design; modeling and fabrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microrobotics has emerged as a rapidly advancing field with transformative potential in medicine, manufacturing, environmental monitoring, and beyond. Microrobots—capable of operating on solid surfaces or navigating in complex fluidic environments—offer unique advantages stemming from their small size, high maneuverability, and ability to interact with micro- and nanoscale objects. The field has made remarkable progress and remains highly interdisciplinary, with advances dispersed across materials science, robotics, microfabrication, control, and applied physics.
This Special Issue aims to summarize and critically review the state-of-the-art in microrobotic systems, covering the full system stack from fundamental design principles to real-world applications. The goal is to provide a comprehensive reference for researchers and practitioners, highlight emerging trends and challenges, and identify future directions for microrobotics research and deployment.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Design principles and system architectures for microrobots;
- Locomotion mechanisms on solid surfaces and in liquids (e.g., magnetic, acoustic, chemical, bio-inspired);
- Micro- and nanoscale forces governing interaction, propulsion, and manipulation;
- Sensing and perception at small scales;
- Actuation and control strategies;
- Powering and energy transfer methods;
- Localization, tracking, and navigation in complex environments;
- Fabrication and materials for microrobotic systems;
- Biomedical, industrial, and environmental applications of microrobots.
We welcome original research articles, review papers, and short communications that present fundamental advances, system-level integrations, or insightful surveys of specific aspects of microrobotics. Contributions that bridge theory and experiment, demonstrate robust performance, or clearly articulate open challenges and future opportunities are particularly encouraged.
This Special Issue seeks to serve as a snapshot of current capabilities and a roadmap for the next generation of microrobotic systems.
Dr. Yong Shi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Robotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- microrobotics
- locomotion
- manipulation
- actuation
- fabrication
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
