Self-propelling microparticles are of great interest to microtechnology, but research on complex particle shapes remains limited as few methods exist to produce such particles. Microscale 3D...Show moreSelf-propelling microparticles are of great interest to microtechnology, but research on complex particle shapes remains limited as few methods exist to produce such particles. Microscale 3D-printing could be a very useful tool in solving this problem. Here the method of 3D-printed particles is applied to create particles shaped like half-grooved rods with platinum-coated tips, with the goal of investigating the theory that slip has a significant influence on the movement of Janus swimmers. These particles exhibited a spread in velocities of which the average was slightly higher if the grooved side was facing towards the substrate than if it was facing away from it. It was also hypothesized that fluid flow and slip might have an influence on the preferred axial orientation of the particle, but no significant difference was found in the distributions of orientation compared to particles in water. A control group of rods without grooves showed an average velocity that was significantly slower than that of the grooved rods in either orientation. These results support the idea that the velocity of active particles is influenced by the particles' slip.Show less