In use, the robot could be used in medical applications but making one as agile – and disposable - as this one has proved challenging.
According to its developers from MIT and TU Munich, the sheet weighs 0.31g, spans 1.7cm square in size, features a cubic neodymium magnet, and can be thermally activated to self-fold. They add that since the robot has asymmetric body balance along the sagittal axis, the robot can walk at a speed of 3.8 body-length/s being remotely controlled by an alternating external magnetic field.
Developed models include an acetone-degradable version, which allows the entire robot’s body to vanish in a liquid.
Shuhei Miyashita, Steven Guitron, Cynthia R. Sung, and Daniela Rus from MIT and Marvin Ludersdorfer TU Munich describe how they developed with robot in a paper titled: An untethered miniature origami robot that self-folds, walks, swims, and degrades.
Labour pledge to tackle four key barriers in UK energy transition
I'm all for clarity and would welcome anyone who can enlighten me about what Labour's plans are for the size and scale of this Great British Energy....