A key trait of living organisms lies in their cells, which can divide, adapt, and carry out vital functions for the body. Inspired by this, scientists are now working on liquid robots that mimic some cell-like behaviors.
The robot, about the size of a grain of rice, is made from water coated with Teflon particles. As reported in Science Advances, South Korean researchers designed it with the ability to merge seamlessly with other liquids.
Researchers Compare Liquid Robots to Terminator’s T-1000
Researchers compared the tiny robots to Terminator 2’s T-1000, a liquid-metal machine that reshapes and regenerates after damage.
In laboratory experiments, scientists showed that the robot resists compression in different liquids without dissolving, allowing it to preserve its shape during movement.
“We are developing technologies to let the liquid robot reshape using sound waves or electric fields,” said co-author Jeong-Yun Sun.
Ultrasound-Guided Micro Robots with Biomedical Potential
The miniature robots are guided by ultrasound-generated sound waves, and their small size was specifically designed to support potential applications in fields like biomedicine.
To create these robots, researchers used ice cubes coated with an industrial Teflon powder. The researchers chose ice because, as it melts, it compacts the Teflon particles and produces tiny robots from the droplets.
 "The Liquid Robot Functions Similarly to a Living Cell")
At first, we thought about encapsulating a spherical droplet with particles to build the liquid robot… “By coating an ice cube with particles and letting it melt, we greatly improved the robots’ stability,” said co-author Hyobin Jeon.
Potential Applications in Medicine and Industry
For instance, a commercial version of the robot could deliver drugs to hard-to-reach areas inside the human body. It also holds potential for industrial use, as it can navigate tight spaces within complex machinery and move easily through liquids.
For now, the team intends to keep refining the robot for use across various fields, though there is still no timeline for when it might become commercially available.
Read the original article on: Tecmundo
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