“`html
Scientists in South Korea have created tiny magnetic robots that work together like ants to accomplish impressive tasks, such as moving across areas and lifting objects much larger than themselves.
Their research, published on December 18 in the Cell Press journal Device, shows that these microrobots, operating with a rotating magnetic field, could tackle challenging jobs that single robots find difficult. This includes offering less invasive treatments for blocked arteries and precisely controlling small organisms.
Jeong Jae Wie from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, commented, “The microrobot swarms’ ability to adapt to their surroundings and their high autonomy in swarm control were unexpected.”
Wie and his team experimented with different swarm configurations to see how well they performed various tasks. They discovered that swarms with a specific assembly could climb obstacles five times taller than the length of a single microrobot and even propel themselves over barriers.
A large group of 1,000 microrobots with high packing density could form a raft that floated on water and wrapped around a pill weighing 2,000 times more than each robot, allowing the swarm to move the drug through the liquid.
On land, a swarm transported cargo 350 times heavier than each robot, while another swarm could clear blockages in tubes similar to clogged blood vessels. Additionally, through spinning and orbital dragging, Wie’s team developed a way for robot swarms to guide the movement of small organisms.
Inspired by ants working together to overcome obstacles, scientists are increasingly interested in how robot swarms can achieve collective goals. Working together makes robots more resilient to failure, as they continue their programmed tasks even if some members fail, ensuring eventual success.
Wie noted, “Previous swarm robotics research focused on spherical robots that connect at points. In this study, we designed a swarm of cube-shaped microrobots, which have stronger magnetic attractions due to larger contact surface areas.”
Each microrobot stands 600 micrometers tall and is made of an epoxy body with ferromagnetic neodymium-iron-boron particles, allowing it to respond to magnetic fields and interact with others. By using a rotating magnetic field, the swarm can self-assemble. The robots were programmed to form different structures by adjusting the magnetization angle.
Wie said, “We developed an economical mass production method using onsite replica molding and magnetization for consistent performance.”
He added, “Although the results are promising, the swarms need more autonomy before being used in real-world applications. They currently require external magnetic control and can’t navigate complex spaces like real arteries on their own. Future research will aim to increase the autonomy of microrobot swarms with real-time feedback control of their movements.”
“`
Source link
