If someone from the 1990s or 2000s had imagined what robots would look like in the future, they would certainly have thought of something similar to this liquid robot developed by researchers in South Korea.
In the study, published in Science Advances, the scientists describe the functioning of the robot, which is coated in hydrophobic particles, meaning it repels water. This allows it to easily change and recover its original shape.
This means it can pass through metal bars, withstand large drops and external compression, transport materials, and even merge with other liquid robots.
According to the team, one of its main applications would be in the field of biomedicine, as they can control its movements using ultrasound, which would be very useful for administering medication into the human body.
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Additionally, they mentioned it could be used for operations inside complex machines, exploring terrains with obstacles, assisting in the search for survivors in disaster zones, and administering chemicals to clean and nourish the soil.
“Based on our current findings, we are working on technologies that will allow the liquid robot to change its shape using sound waves or electric fields,” said Professor Ho-Young Kim, the corresponding author of the study.
Photo and video: YouTube @IFLScienceOfficial. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
