They are planned to be used in the study of the human body, as well as for diagnostics of the state of oil and gas pipelines.
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created autonomous robotic devices that are no larger than the cells of a living organism. The devices do not need to be recharged and can be used in several areas at once.
The researchers said that to create robots, they connected 2D electronics to colloids - tiny particles ranging in size from one billionth to one millionth of a meter (about the size of a human egg).
In addition, robotic assistants do not need to be recharged: they are based on photodiode semiconductors that convert light into electrical charge. This is enough for their onboard electronics and data storage systems to function.
As for the fields of activity of robots, MIT plans to send them to hard-to-reach places to monitor the environment.
“The researchers hope to lay the groundwork for devices that can be used to perform diagnostics in hard-to-reach places, from the human digestive system to refinery tanks. In fact, the principle of use is simple: you leave the robot at one end and pick it up at the other, after which you analyze the information collected using sensors and sensors,”- said in a press release from MIT.
GRIGORY PUSHKAREV