Tiny
Robots Mimic Scallops to
Swim Through Bodily Fluids (VIDEO)
Microrobots that can independently
Swim within the body may one day help diag**se conditions and to treat diseases by traveling to areas that conventional tech**logy simply can’t reach. There’s already considerable research toward this goal, including how to encapsulate *****, trigger different actions by the microrobots, and identifying materials that are safe and practical at very small scales.
A collaboration between scientists in Europe and Israel has developed a **vel propulsion system modeled on
Scallops that can move
Tiny objects
Through many of the body’s fluids. The
Tiny scallop is powered by an external magnetic field that makes the device open and close. Because
Bodily Fluids are typically **n-Newtonian, meaning their viscosity changes depending on how fast an object is moving
Through them, flapping the scallop’s opposing shells at different speeds on the closing than the opening stroke allows it to propel confidently in one direction.
Here’s an excellent video from IEEE about the new tech**logy:
Open access article in
Nature Communications:*
Swimming by reciprocal motion at low Rey**lds number…
More from
IEEE Spectrum:*
Robotic Micro-Scallops Can Swim Through Your Eyeballs…
