Here are tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Scientists at EPFL and ETH Zurich modeled these after bacteria. The robots optimize their movement to get to hard-to-reach areas in the human body.
These bio-compatible robots are flexible and can swim through fluids and pass through narrow vessels. As the researchers explain:
They are made of hydrogel nanocomposites that contain magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled via an electromagnetic field.
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Robots like these will be used in the future to revolutionize drug delivery. More info is available here.