Scientists at EPFL and ETH Zurich have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements so as to get to hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They stand to revolutionize targeted drug delivery.
Scientists at EPFL and ETH Zurich have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements so as to get to hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They stand to revolutionize targeted drug delivery.
One day we may be able to ingest tiny robots that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissue, thanks to research being carried out at EPFL and ETH Zurich.
The group of scientists – led by Selman Sakar at EPFL and Bradley Nelson at ETH Zurich – drew inspiration from bacteria to design smart, biocompatible microrobots that are highly flexible. Because these devices are able to swim through fluids and modify their shape when needed, they can pass through narrow blood vessels and intricate systems without compromising on speed or maneuverability. They are made of hydrogel nanocomposites that contain magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled via an electromagnetic field.
In an article appearing in Science Advances, the scientists describe the method they have developed for “programming” the robot’s shape so that it can easily travel through fluids that are dense, viscous or moving at rapid speeds.
Embodied intelligence
When we think of robots, we generally think of bulky machines equipped with complex systems of electronics, sensors, batteries and actuators. But on a microscopic scale, robots are entirely different.
Fabricating miniaturized robots presents a host of challenges, which the scientists addressed using an origami-based folding method. Their novel locomotion strategy employs embodied intelligence, which is an alternative to the classical computation paradigm that is performed by embedded electronic systems. “Our robots have a special composition and structure that allow them to adapt to the characteristics of the fluid they are moving through. For instance, if they encounter a change in viscosity or osmotic concentration, they modify their shape to maintain their speed and maneuverability without losing control of the direction of motion,” says Sakar.
These deformations can be “programmed” in advance so as to maximize performance without the use of cumbersome sensors or actuators. The robots can be either controlled using an electromagnetic field or left to navigate on their own through cavities by utilizing fluid flow. Either way, they will automatically morph into the most efficient shape.
Learn more: Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings
The Latest on: Smart microrobots
Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings - Science Daily
January 18, 2019 - Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings Science DailyScientists have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these ...
June 12, 2019 - Search and Rescue Aided by Tiny Self-Guided Robots in High-Risk Environments Robotics Business ReviewTiny, autonomous, insect-sized robots are being developed to aid in search and rescue operations to go beyond where human rescuers can safely go.Shapeshifting microrobots to travel through your bloodstream - Boing Boing
January 23, 2019 - Shapeshifting microrobots to travel through your bloodstream Boing Boinghttps://youtu.be/1yXKGAbyFIg Continuing the quest to design robots that could travel through our bodies to deliver drugs and cure disease, researchers at EPFL ...
Smart Microrobots Developed That Can Adapt to Their Surroundings - Laboratory Equipment
January 22, 2019 - Smart Microrobots Developed That Can Adapt to Their Surroundings Laboratory EquipmentOne day we may be able to ingest tiny robots that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissue, thanks to new research being carried out.Tiny medical microrobots can shape-shift to navigate through your insides - Digital Trends
January 24, 2019 - Tiny medical microrobots can shape-shift to navigate through your insides Digital TrendsResearchers from Switzerland have developed tiny, adaptable microrobots capable of changing their shape to better navigate around the inside of the human ...
The Microbots Are on Their Way - The New York Times
April 30, 2019 - The Microbots Are on Their Way The New York TimesTiny sensors with tinier legs, stamped out of silicon wafers, could one day soon help fix your cellphone battery or study your brain.
June 17, 2019 - Micro Robots Market: Industry Analysis, Size, Forecast 2019-25, Share, Growth, Trends and Top Key Players TheSportMailGlobal Micro Robots Market reports provide in-depth analysis of Top Players, Geography, End users, Applications, Competitor analysis, Revenue, Price, Gross ...
March 7, 2019 - New cell-sized micro robots might make incredible journeys: A million functional microscopic robots produced from a 4-inch silicon wafer in new nanofabrication process Science DailyResearchers have created tiny functional, remote-powered, walking robots, developing a multistep nanofabrication technique that turns a 4-inch specialized ...
Swiss researchers develop microrobots for targeted treatment - Medical Device Network
January 21, 2019 - Swiss researchers develop microrobots for targeted treatment Medical Device NetworkResearchers in Switzerland have created microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings in the human body and facilitate targeted drug delivery.- June 17, 2019 - 3D printing news Sliced: Zortrax, Organovo Holdings, Laser Lines, Zenith Tecnica 3D Printing IndustryAre you wondering how you can use 3D printing to customize your sleek new Crocs? Or, maybe is there anything you can 3D print to make Mario Kart victory ...
via Google News
The Latest on: Smart microrobots
- Bacteria-inspired microrobots on January 30, 2019 at 4:00 pm
A group of scientists led by Bradley Nelson, Professor at ETH Zurich, and Selman Sakar, Professor at EPFL, drew inspiration from bacteria to design smart, biocompatible microrobots that are highly ... […]
- Tiny Elastic Robots Could One Day Deliver Drugs Directly to Diseased Tissue on January 22, 2019 at 3:37 am
Newly developed smart microrobots that can change its shape depending on their surroundings could one day revolutionize targeted drug delivery, reports a new study. One day we may be able to ingest ... […]
- Swimming Microrobots can Deliver Drugs to Diseased Tissues on January 21, 2019 at 5:35 am
The discovery is an advancement that will help deliver drugs to diseased tissue in the future. The smart, biocompatible microrobots that are highly flexible are made of hydrogel nanocomposites that ... […]
- Smart Microrobots Can Adapt to Their Surroundings on January 20, 2019 at 10:58 pm
Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements so as to get to hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They stand to revolutionize targeted drug delivery. One day ... […]
- Scientists develop smart microrobots that can change shape depending on their surroundings on January 20, 2019 at 10:36 pm
One day we may be able to ingest tiny robots that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissue, thanks to research being carried out at EPFL and ETH Zurich. The group of scientists - led by Selman Sakar ... […]
- Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings on January 19, 2019 at 4:56 am
(Nanowerk News) One day we may be able to ingest tiny robots that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissue, thanks to research being carried out at EPFL and ETH Zurich. The group of scientists - led ... […]
- Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings on January 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm
Scientists have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements so as to get ... […]
- Microrobots could one day deliver drugs inside the body on January 18, 2019 at 11:01 am
These extremely flexible microrobots are composed of biocompatible hydrogel nanocomposites containing nanomagnets that can be controlled by an electromagnetic field. Their smart design lets them swim ... […]
via Bing News
