- Teams at University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan built autonomous robots the size of a grain of salt.
- Microrobots measure about 200 × 300 × 50 micrometers, cost roughly one cent each, and can operate for months.
- They propel themselves using electrical fields in liquid, avoiding moving parts and mechanical wear.
- Each unit includes a complete computer, sensors that detect temperature to ±0.33°C, and communicates data via coded motion.
- Light pulses power and program the robots; circuits were redesigned to run on about 75 nanowatts of solar-generated power.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan have created autonomous microrobots roughly the size of a grain of salt that swim in liquid, sense temperature, make on-board decisions, and run for months. The devices measure about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, cost about one penny each to make, and were developed to overcome the physical limits that have prevented independent robots below one millimeter. A team member explained the scale change and goals, as reported.
The robots move without joints or limbs. Instead, electrodes on each device generate an electrical field that pushes ions in the surrounding fluid; those ions drag water and create propulsion. Because there are no mechanical motors, the electrodes tolerate repeated handling and transfer between samples.
Power comes from tiny solar cells producing about 75 nanowatts. Engineers at the University of Michigan redesigned circuits to run at very low voltages and cut energy use by more than 1,000 times. Software was compressed so key behaviors fit within the microrobots’ minimal memory.
Each microrobot contains a processor, memory, sensors, and motor control—making it the first sub-millimeter device with a full computer stack. They detect temperature changes to within one-third of a degree Celsius and can swim toward warmer regions or signal readings by encoding data in small motion patterns observers decode under a microscope.
Robots are powered and programmed by light pulses; each unit has a unique address so different programs can be loaded. They can act alone or coordinate in groups, swim up to one body length per second, and researchers say the design is a platform for adding sensors or more complex programs. “This is really just the first chapter,” said Marc Miskin, and “Once you have that foundation, you can layer on all kinds of intelligence and functionality.”
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