Microbotics, as a field, is achieving unprecedented heights and advancements thanks to the recent technological breakthroughs in milli- and micro-scale science and technology. The fact that there is a demand for new microsystems for applications in biotechnology, manufacturing, and medicine has also really opened up new avenues for microbotics. However, even in an ever-advancing field of microbotics, the robots featured in the video are in a league of their own!
A team of researchers from the University of Toronto have created small millimeter-scale flexible robots that can be controlled via the PlayStation 2 controller. How exactly? The PlayStation 2 controller can be used for altering the magnetic fields surrounding the robot. You would be right to question the precision of such alteration; but fear not, the controller can perform this task quite precisely. The little robots are able to bend, move, jump, and even pick up objects.
In the Veritasium video featured in this article, the University of Toronto team talks about all the potential applications that these mini robots enjoy across a myriad of fields of varying nature. In one case, the researchers use the robots for moving objects in a real-world game of Tetris as well! While it sounds fun, the concept goes to prove that these robots could potentially be put to use for assembling human organs. They will do so by arranging blocks of cells and thus completing the organs.
These tiny robots, the latest in microbotics, have been developed by making use of a nifty 3D printing technique that focuses on pre-magnetized ferromagnetic particles. We don’t want to spoil the video for you by giving you too many details. Plus you really need to see these cute little robots in action. So check out the video below and let us know what you think of it!
