The fluid robot is a non-Newtonian fluid made of a polymer called polyvinyl alcohol mixed with borax and neodymium magnet particles.
The fluid robot is a non-Newtonian fluid made of a polymer called polyvinyl alcohol mixed with borax and neodymium magnet particles.
It can change its shape by changing the external magnetic field, and can move at a speed of 30 millimeters per second.
At present, there are no more than two kinds of magnetic micro-soft robots, which are based on elastomers and based on fluids. However, they all have shortcomings, and elastic body-based robots have poor deformability. While the fluid-based robot has stronger deformability, it is also limited by the unstable shape of the fluid itself, so it has poor adaptability to the environment.
In contrast, this magnetically driven slime robot based on non-Newtonian fluids is even better, having the advantages of the first two.
That is, it is able to move on different materials independent of the environment.
In addition, it has super deformation ability, even if it is cut, it can repair itself.
Can move freely on uneven terrain with a width of 6.28mm and a height of 3mm. Even narrow passages with a diameter of only 1.5 mm can be passed.
Turned into a "C" shape, it acts like a sweeper, collecting scattered balls together.
You can also stretch out your "hand" to grab objects, or turn into an "O" shape to pack things away directly.
It is also a good electrical conductor for interconnecting electrodes.
It can be used to remove foreign objects accidentally swallowed by people. To this end, the researchers also conducted tests that simulated the removal of a small battery from the stomach.
Just be aware that because the neodymium particles are toxic, a layer of silica is used in the slime for protection. However, it cannot be applied to the human body at present.
In addition to this, it can also be used to repair electrical circuits.
In conclusion, utilizing its deformable, reconfigurable, self-healing, and conductive properties, it has broad application prospects in future biomedical and wearable devices.
