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A tiny robot with "caterpillar" legs could be used to carry drugs inside the human body.
Researchers at the origin of this technology claim to have the equivalent strength of a human capable of lifting a 26-seater minibus.
It can adapt to adverse environments and move effectively along body surfaces lined or immersed in body fluids such as blood or mucus.
But what distinguishes the "mill-robot" are its hundreds of pointed legs less than a millimeter long that look like tiny hair.
In the photo, a robot prototype carrying a pill through a model of the interior of the human stomach. It can adapt to adverse environments and move effectively along body surfaces covered with body fluids such as blood or mucus
The head of the study, Shen Yajing, said that the sharp points of the robot "significantly" reduce their contact surface and therefore the friction with the surface.
Laboratory tests showed that the multi-legged robot had 40 times less friction than a robot without arms in a wet and dry environment.
Laboratory tests showed that he was able to withstand a load 100 times heavier than him, a force comparable to that of an ant, one of the strongest creatures in nature.
Previous research on caterpillar-inspired robots has suggested that patients swallow the device or receive it into a skin cavity.
Scientists have developed this technology to identify hard-to-reach body parts without surgery, reports Futurism earlier this year.
The City University of Hong Kong (CityU) research team studied the leg structure of hundreds of ground animals, including those with two, four, eight or more, especially the relationship between leg length and the space between the legs.
The thickness of the body of the robot is about 0.15 mm, each conical leg measuring 0.65 mm long and the space between the legs measuring about 0.6 mm, so that the length-gap-length ratio is about 1: 1.
Dr. Shen said, "Most animals have a relationship between the length of the leg and the gap between the legs of 2: 1 to 1: 1. So we decided to create our robot using a proportion of 1: 1.
In addition to the multi-limbed design, Dr. Shen said the materials also matter.
The robot is made with a silicon-based material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) incorporating magnetic particles that allow it to be remotely controlled by applying an electromagnetic force.
A tiny robot with "caterpillar" legs could be used to carry drugs inside the human body. The researchers behind the technology say that he has the equivalent strength of a human capable of lifting a 26-seat mini-bus (artist impression)
Professor Wang Zuankai, who devised the research idea, said, "The materials and multi-branch design significantly improve the hydrophobic property of the robot.
"In addition, the rubber part is soft and can be easily cut to form robots of various shapes and sizes for different applications."
Controlled by a magnetic manipulator used in experiments, the robot can move in both a flanged propulsion model and in an inverted pendulum, which means that it can use its front foot to switch to the other. before or towards the back. alternatively to advance respectively.
Professor Wang said, "The rough surface and the changing texture of the different tissues inside the human body make transportation difficult.
"Our multi-legged robot has impressive performance on a variety of terrains and therefore opens up vast applications for the delivery of medications into the body."
The research team also proved that the robot, with its flexible and deformable legs, can lift one end of its body to form a 90-degree angle and clear the obstacle easily.
The little robot delivers a pill inside a model of the stomach. The researchers said that the robot's sharp legs had "dramatically reduced" their contact surface and thus the friction with the surface
And this can increase its speed by increasing the electromagnetic frequency applied.
The researchers said the robot also shows a "remarkable" loading capacity.
Dr. Shen said, "The incredibly strong transport capacity, the efficient locomotion and the good obstacle clearance capability make this milli-robot extremely suitable for applications in a harsh environment, for example by delivering a drug to inspection. medical.
Before carrying out other tests in animals and possibly in humans, the research teams develop and refine their research in three ways, namely to find a biodegradable material, to study new forms and to add additional features.
Dr. Shen added, "We hope to create a biodegradable robot in the next two or three years so that it breaks down naturally after its delivery mission."
The robot has been described in the journal Nature Communications.
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