These Tiny On-Body Robots Will Climb All Over Your Clothes

Wearable devices may not be so static like those we see today. That’s because researchers from MIT and Stanford have developed tiny, on-body robots that crawl up, down, and around unmodified clothing. In other words, you don’t need to wear any special garments to have them roam on you.

Called “Rovables,” these bots are held in place by magnetic wheels, and are capable of climbing vertically. They are equipped with a built-in battery, a microcontroller, and communicate wirelessly.

The mini machines come with low-power localizations systems that enable them to move autonomously. The researchers even describe a scenario where the Rovable crawls into your pocket when it’s not needed.

The team has found that the Rovables can operate continuously for 45 minutes, at which point, they will locate a wearable charger by themelves when their batteries run low.

So what might you use these bots for, you ask? A group of them could assemble on a wearer’s arm to create a display to watch video, roll up your sleeve if you get too warm, or form a safety light on your back when you’re riding a bike a night.

Intrigued? You can read all about these mobile wearable devices here, as well as see them in action below!