Researchers Unveil the "Smallest Microelectronic Robot in the World," Complete with Twin-Jet Engine

Steerable with twin-jet engines and featuring a tiny arm to grasp and release objects, the team's robot is ultra-compact.

Gareth Halfacree
4 years ago β€’ Robotics
The steerable, remote-controllable robot is dwarfed by a one-Euro-cent coin. (πŸ“·: Bandari et al)

Researchers at Chemnitz University of Technology, IFW Dresden, the Technical University of Dresden, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun have published a paper describing what they claim to be the "smallest microelectronic robot in the world" β€” measuring just 0.8x0.8mm in footprint and 0.14mm tall.

"Almost ten years ago, my team and I came up with the idea to combine tiny chemical nozzle drives with microelectronic components, in order to bring together two disciplines that until then had little in common," explains TU Chemnitz Professor Dr. Oliver G. Schmidt of the project's background. "It is wonderful to see that this idea has come to fruition due to the technologically innovative strength of my Ph.D. student Vineeth Kumar Bandari, as well as the extraordinary scientific engagement of Dr. Feng Zhu, and it can now be experimentally realised in a first, simplified form."

The tiny robot developed by the team, brought to our attention by TechXplore, is controlled by a twin-jet microtube engine using an on-board energy system, and despite its compact size β€” 0.8x0.8mm in footprint (around 0.03x0.03") and 0.14mm in height (0.0055") - boasts an on-board light source, micro-arm, and remote control functionality. Steering is handled by varying the thrust of oxygen bubbles through one of the two microtubes: the more unbalanced the thrust, the faster the robot turns.

The built-in robot arm, meanwhile, is made from a layer of thermoresponsive polymer: By adjusting the polymer's temperature, it can be open and closed to grasp and release tiny objects. Finally, everything is powered using a receiver coil linked wirelessly to a transmission system - the first time wireless power has been proven in such a compact design, the team claim.

While the tiny robot would appear ideally suited to the healthcare field, there's one minor drawback to the design: The propulsion system is driven by hydrogen peroxide, a substance which would be harmful if introduced into a living creature; the team has indicated that finding a less harmful alternative is the next step in the project.

The work has been published in the journal Nature under closed-access terms.

Gareth Halfacree
Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.
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