Microbots

Researchers have developed a bubble microrobot capable of being guided around the tiny complex blood vessels of the brain using ultrasound. The ‘microvehicle’ holds potential as a means of delivering drugs to treat brain cancer and stroke.

Implants and tiny machines could eventually help treat disease or monitor activity, but communication is tricky. Now scientists at EPFL have developed a system whereby devices can communicate by releasing molecules into a patient’s bloodstream.

Researchers have taken another step forward in medical micro-robotics, designing a tiny sound-propelled bot with a unique design that mimics natural swimmers like bacteria. It can quickly move around the body to deliver drugs where they're needed.

Scientists have recently had success in curing mice of a serious type of pneumonia, using what are described as "microrobots." The bots were actually live algae cells, which carried life-saving medication throughout the rodents' lungs.

Like many menial tasks, there may soon be a way to outsource brushing your teeth to robots. A new system of microrobots can change shape to form bristles or floss, and don’t just brush plaque away but release antimicrobials to kill bad bacteria.

Complex bone fractures can be hard to treat, sometimes requiring the injured bone to be replaced with bone harvested from elsewhere in the body. Thanks to a new material, though, bone-building micro-robots may someday provide an alternative.

Researchers have developed microbots made of stem cells that can be delivered through the nose into the brain. These “Cellbots,” which bypass the blood-brain barrier, could one day be used to treat brain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

Tiny 3D-printed robotic animals could one day delivering drugs directly to cancers, to help reduce side effects. These microrobots are steered by magnets, and only release their drug payload when they encounter the acidic environment around a tumor.

Nature is a never-ending source of inspiration for robots, whether it’s bees, bacteria or fish. Now an unlikely new candidate has joined the list – starfish larvae, which use tiny hairs to create a vortex to propel themselves or suck in food.

Although scientists have been working on "microbots" that could deliver drugs within the body, one challenge remains – powering the things without the use of bulky onboard batteries. A new approach utilizes ultrasound waves that act on tiny bubbles.

Various groups are currently working on tiny "robots" that could deliver medication to specific locations within the body. One of the latest such microbots, known as the MANiAC, is designed specifically for use in the delicate central nervous system.

We've been hearing a lot lately about micro-robots, that could one day perform tasks such as capturing pollutants from the environment. Scientists have now created a sturdy batch of such bots, that heal back together when cut in two.