Tiny swimming robots developed by researchers at Waterloo Engineering have promising potential applications in fields including environmental cleanup and specialized medical procedures.
The research team was inspired by water bugs to create microrobots that can be guided by light to move on the surface of water. And to propel them, the researchers used a protein taken from the suction cups of squids.
“We’re moving toward smart, swimming robots with more autonomous behaviour by making them respond to external cues like light, or magnetic fields,” said Dr. Hamed Shahsavan, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and director of the SMART-Lab.
The robots feature liquid crystal elastomers, materials that change shape in response to light, while the squid protein provides a motor for the devices by absorbing and releasing chemical fuel.
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