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Modeled on bacteria and totally biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements in order to reach the hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They will revolutionize the targeted distribution of drugs.
One day we might be able to ingest tiny robots that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissue, thanks to research conducted at EPFL and ETH Zurich, Science Daily reported.
The group of scientists – led by EPFL's Selman Sakar and ETH's Bradley Nelson of Zurich – is inspired by bacteria to design smart, biocompatible and extremely flexible microbots. Since these devices can swim in liquids and change their shape as needed, they can also traverse narrow blood vessels and complex systems without compromising on speed or maneuverability. They consist of nanocomposites of hydrogel containing magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled via an electromagnetic field.
In an article in Science Advances, scientists describe the method they have developed to "program" the shape of the robot so that it can easily pbad through dense, viscous or high-velocity fluids. .
The embodied intelligence
When we think of robots, we usually think of big machines equipped with complex systems of electronics, sensors, batteries and actuators. But on a microscopic scale, the robots are totally different.
The manufacture of miniaturized robots presents a host of challenges that scientists have responded to using an origami-based folding method. Their new locomotion strategy uses embodied intelligence, which is an alternative to the clbadical computing paradigm implemented by embedded electronic systems. "Our robots have a special composition and structure that allows them to adapt to the characteristics of the fluid they are pbading in. For example, if they encounter a change in viscosity or osmotic concentration, they change their shape. to maintain their speed and maneuverability without losing control of the direction of movement, "says Sakar.
These deformations can be "programmed" in advance to optimize performance without the use of bulky sensors or actuators. The robots can be controlled with the help of an electromagnetic field or left to themselves to navigate through cavities using a fluid flow. In any case, they automatically turn into the most efficient form.
Inspired by nature
"Nature has developed a multitude of micro-organisms that change shape as their environmental conditions change.This basic principle inspired our design of microbots.The main challenge for us was to develop physics that describes the types of changes. which interested us this with new manufacturing technologies, "says Nelson. In addition to offering increased efficiency, these miniaturized soft robots can also be manufactured easily at a reasonable cost. For now, the research team is working to improve swimming performance through complex fluids like those found in the human body.
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