Eric Diller, PhD, P.Eng.

Dr. Eric Diller, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, has made a name for himself bringing magnetic wireless small-scale robots from an untested concept to application.

He has developed new capabilities for actuation and control of biomedical microdevices, and has developed new devices such as miniaturized surgical tools—tiny robots which can be wirelessly controlled and moved and enable a new approach to non-invasive medical procedures. Dr. Diller shrinks the mechanical and electrical components of robots down to micrometer size and uses magnetic fields and smart materials to make these small mechanisms functional. He is currently collaborating with a neurosurgeon and company to develop a new class of miniaturized neurosurgical tools using his techniques. Current neurosurgical tools limit minimally invasive procedures, as they cannot be miniaturized to the size required for use inside the human brain. Dr. Diller’s new minimally invasive surgical tool is half the size of existing tools, and is driven by magnetic fields to grasp and cut brain tissue.

Dr. Diller is also developing a wireless 'smart pill' which takes bacteria samples from anywhere inside the intestine. The pill is swallowed by the patient, and the body moves the pill through the gastrointestinal tract. The pill location is tracked using magnetic fields, and at the right position an on-board trap door is opened for sample collection and later analysis.

Dr. Diller has published 68 peer-reviewed publications in top journals such as Science Robotics, Nature Communications and Advanced Functional Materials, and his papers have been cited around 2700 times.