At the surface of a liquid, the molecules have more energy than those in the bulk. This gives
birth to surface tension. In our everyday life, many manifestations of this phenomenon can
be observed. The spherical shape of drops and the ability of some insects to walk on water
are some examples.
In this thesis, we use surface tension and the forces that arise from it to assemble and
manipulate floating components. We first show that a floating object of controllable shape
can modify its interactions with its neighbours. With such objects, we form a reconfigurable
self-assembly that is able to switch reversibly from one structure to another. By modifying
somewhat the geometry of the components, we improve this self-assembly by giving it the
ability to perform a rotational movement. Then, we show that the surface of a liquid can
be shaped in a given area to manipulate floating particles. We create actuators that can be
combined to form capillary tweezers. With these tweezers, we manipulate floating particles,
both solid and liquid, without direct contact. The results obtained in this work can be used
to create functional structures and self-assembled robots. They also offer a new technique for manipulating floating particles of any kind.