A new microrobot that was modeled after bacteria might just revolutionize targeted drug delivery. In the future, people might need only to swallow tiny robots to get the medications straight to the target tissues.

Microrobot

A team of scientists from EPFL and ETH Zurich developed tiny elastic robots that are smart, flexible, and biocompatible. The microrobots can swim through fluids and change their shape when needed, so they can pass through complicated systems and narrow blood vessels with ease.

The robots are made of hydrogel nanocomposites, and were designed with a composition and structure that would allow them to adapt to the type of fluid that they are moving through, For instance, when the microrobot detects a change in viscosity, it will change its shape so that it can still move with the same speed.

Furthermore, the microrobots can navigate on their own but they were also designed with magnetic nanoparticles so they can be controlled via an electromagnetic field.

Nature-Inspired Robot

Interestingly, the microrobots were actually inspired by bacteria. According to the scientists, they drew inspiration from nature wherein there are microorganisms with the capability to change their shape when needed, and depending on the environmental conditions. For instance, bacteria can change their shape and size over the course of their life cycle so as to optimize their movements, especially in complex environments.

Specifically, the scientists drew inspiration from C. crescentus, Helicobacter pylori, and Borrelia burgdorferi, which are types of microorganisms that swim by rotating their propeller-like organelles extending from their cell bodies. Furthermore, the scientists also employed kirigami, a type of origami, in the design to fold the 3D microstructures.

Fortunately, the microrobots are said to be easy to manufacture, and at a reasonable cost as well. For now, the scientists are still working on better swimming performance through complex fluids.

The study is published in Science Advances.