Morphing microrobots change shape according to environment

Inspired by bacteria, the tiny robots are made from hydrogel composites and contain magnetic nanoparticles that would allow them to be directed from outside the human body. While this method of external control is not new, novelty can be found in the way the robots manipulate their shape autonomously in response to their surroundings. Changes in viscosity, for example, prompt the microrobots to morph into more efficient shapes to maintain momentum. Led by engineers from ETH Zurich and its sister institution École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the research is published in Science Advances.

“Our robots have a special composition and structure that allow them to adapt to the characteristics of the fluid they are moving through,” said Mahmut Selman, an assistant professor at EPFL’s Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

“For instance, if they encounter a change in viscosity or osmotic concentration, they modify their shape to maintain their speed and manoeuvrability without losing control of the direction of motion.”