Calling their development the first light-driven, toroidal microrobot capable of autonomous movement in viscous liquids, the researchers created the microrobots that can be powered by a synthetic material called liquid crystalline elastomer to overcome difficult environments like mucus.

Source: Hao Zeng/Tampere University

The researchers explained that the elastomer responds to external stimuli, like lasers. Once heated, the microrobots autonomously rotate thanks to a special zero-elastic-energy mode (ZEEM). The rotation is encouraged by the interaction of static and dynamic forces.

“The implications of this research extend beyond robotics, potentially impacting fields such as medicine and environmental monitoring. For instance, this innovation could be used for drug transportation through physiological mucus and unblocking blood vessels after the miniaturization of the device,” the researchers noted.

The robots are detailed in the article, “Light-steerable locomotion using zero-elastic-energy modes,” which appears in the journal Nature Materials.