Robots smaller than a grain of salt that can think

The world's smallest fully programmable autonomous robots were presented in the USA. The development was carried out by specialists from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. We are talking about microscopic devices capable of moving independently in liquids and analyzing the environment.

The size of each such robot is approximately 200 × 300 × 50 micrometers — this is less than a grain of salt, notes xrust. They are comparable in scale to living microorganisms. In the future, such technologies can be used in medicine to monitor the state of individual cells, as well as in microelectronics — when creating and assembling ultra-small devices.

Full autonomy without wires and magnets

Unlike previous miniature solutions, the new microrobots do not require wires, external magnetic fields or constant remote control. They operate using light energy — built-in solar cells power a microscopic computing module.

There is a mini-computer on board that allows you to perform preset algorithms: follow the route, record local temperature changes and adjust the direction of movement. In fact, we are talking about the first submillimeter robot with a full-fledged “processor + memory + sensors” architecture, capable of acting independently.

Why reducing robots turned out to be so difficult

Although electronics have been steadily decreasing in size for decades, robotics for a long time could not overcome the barrier of autonomy with dimensions of less than one millimeter. Researchers estimate that this problem remained unsolved for about 40 years.

The reason lies in the physics of the microworld. On conventional scales, motion is determined by gravity and inertia, which depend on the volume of the body. However, at microscopic sizes, surface forces dominate. Medium resistance and viscosity become determining factors. For a microscopic object, movement in water is comparable to the movement of a person in thick resin.

Therefore, traditional mechanical circuits — miniature legs, levers or hinges — turn out to be impractical: they break, do not scale well and are extremely difficult to manufacture.

New principle of movement

Engineers have proposed an alternative method of movement that complies with the laws of microphysics. Instead of mechanical bending, robots create an electric field that affects charged particles in the liquid.

The ions begin to move and carry water molecules with them, forming a flow around the device body. By changing field parameters, the robot can turn, move along a complex trajectory, and even coordinate actions in a group. The maximum speed reaches approximately one body length per second.

The absence of moving parts increases the reliability of the design. The devices can be transferred between samples using a micropipette without risk of damage. When illuminated with LED, microrobots remain operational for several months.

Mini-computer in fractions of a millimeter

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__To ensure autonomy, it was necessary to integrate the computing module, sensors and power system in an area of ​​a fraction of a millimeter. The development involved a team led by David Blau from the University of Michigan, which previously set a record for creating one of the smallest computers.

The key problem was energy consumption. The miniature solar panels generate about 75 nanowatts, tens of thousands of times less than what a smartwatch requires. Engineers have developed ultra-efficient circuits that can operate at extremely low voltages. As a result, energy consumption was reduced by more than a thousand times.

An additional limitation was space: solar cells occupy a significant part of the surface. To make room for the computing module, the researchers optimized the software architecture and minimized hardware components.

Sensors, “dance” and teamwork

The robots are equipped with temperature sensors that can detect changes of up to one-third of a degree Celsius. This allows them to move to warmer areas of the environment or transmit data about possible cellular activity.

Information transfer is implemented in an unusual way. A special instruction encodes the measured value into a sequence of movements — a kind of “dance”. By observing it under a microscope with a camera, researchers decipher the data. The principle is reminiscent of the way bees communicate.

The same light that is used for power also serves as a programming channel. Each robot has a unique address, which makes it possible to load different algorithms for individual instances. This opens up possibilities for distributed tasks and collective behavior.

Platform for future developments

The created system is considered as a technological platform. In the future, microrobots may receive more complex algorithms, additional sensors, increased speed and resistance to aggressive environments.

For the programming and microelectronics industry in the Russian Federation, such studies are of practical interest: they demonstrate how ultra-low power consumption, optimized code and hardware miniaturization are combined. The development confirms that the future of robotics has a lot to do with software architecture and efficient algorithms, not just mechanics.

Xrust Robots smaller than a grain of salt that can think