Researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick created a robot inspired by coral polyp that can remove contaminants from water.

The polyp-inspired robot. Source: University of Warwick

The new wireless polyp-robot is 1 cm by 1 cm. Beyond water cleanup, the robot can also be used in medical diagnosis by aiding in the pick up and transport of cells for analysis.

The aquatic poly robot moves under the influence of a magnetic field. It wirelessly attracts, grasps and releases objects. Its tentacles are triggered by light. A rotating magnetic field under the device drives the rotating motion of the robot’s stem. This created an attractive flow that guides particles towards the robot.

UV light activates the tentacles. The tentacles are made of photo-active liquid crystal polymers. The polymers bend towards the light and close on a passing target. The target is later released with blue light illumination.

The team created 3D simulations of the robot. Simulations are important to understand how the stem and tentacles generate flow fields that attract particles in the water. Simulations were also used to optimize the shape of the tentacles so the floating particles can be grabbed quickly and efficiently.

The team presented this research in PNAS.