Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in soft robotics. Their study introduces the first toroidal, light-driven microrobot that can move autonomously in viscous liquids, such as mucus. This innovation marks a major step forward in developing microrobots capable of navigating complex environments, with promising applications in fields such as medicine and environmental monitoring.

At the heart of their research is a synthetic material known as liquid crystalline elastomer. This elastomer reacts to stimuli like lasers. When heated, it rotates on its own due to a special zero-elastic-energy mode (ZEEM), caused by the interaction of static and dynamic forces. By using a single beam of light to trigger nonreciprocal motion, these robots leverage ZEEM to autonomously determine their movements.

Future research will explore the interactions and collective dynamics of multiple tori, potentially leading to new methods of communication between these intelligent microrobots. (Image credit: Hao Zeng, Tampere University)

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Topics:
Materials Medical Robotics

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    This article first appeared in the January, 2025 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 15 No. 1).

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