The World's Smallest Micro Electronic Robot is Propelled by "Jet Engine"

Although we have heard of various "mini-robots" before, scientists have developed a new type of micro-electronic robot, and claim to be the smallest micro-electronic robot in the world. More importantly, its movement is achieved by ejecting double jet bubbles. The device uses the propulsion system which was developed by an international team led by Professor Oliver G. Schmidt of the Technical University of Chemnitz in Germany. The flat miniature robot is 0.8 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, and 0.14 mm high, and is wirelessly controlled by an external transmitter. After receiving the electrical signal from the transmitter, the induction coil in the center of the robot heats one of the two rolled polymer tubes, which run longitudinally along the two sides of the top of the robot. The two tubes continuously sucked in the hydrogen peroxide/water solution. A small amount of platinum in each tube will cause a catalytic reaction, generating oxygen bubbles, which are discharged from the rear end of the tube. The effect of this setting is to generate motion.

However, by heating one of the tubes to different degrees, the degree of catalytic reaction in the tube can be temporarily increased (thereby increasing the amount of bubbles generated). Therefore, the robot can guide the robot to operate in the aqueous solution through remote control. "We originally constructed this micro-robot in such a way that if no heat is applied at all, it will swim in circles," Schmidt explained. "If some heat is applied, the turn will be compensated and the micro-robot will move in a straight line. If more heat is applied, the micro-robot will turn in the other direction." Scientists have also created a mechanical arm for the device, in the form of an actuator composed of thermosensitive polymers. As the heat increases or decreases, this accessory device opens or closes, allowing it to catch tiny objects. In addition, the robot can also be equipped with a micro-LED light source. However, before the micro-robot can be applied to applications such as the targeted delivery of drugs in the human body, it also needs to be modified to run on "fuel" that is more biocompatible than hydrogen peroxide. The development of this capability represents the next stage of research. Recently, a paper on this research was published in the journal Nature & Electronics.

The Smallest Microelectronic Robot in the World