Very Smart Microrobots
Tiny, Elastic Microrobots to Deliver Targeted Drug Therapies Source: EPFL Breakthrough Robotic Innovation from Switzerland Scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and ETH Zurich have developed very smart, highly flexible microrobots. They can change shape depending on their surroundings . For Targeted Drug Therapy Delivery The tiny robots are modeled on microorganisms like bacteria that change shape as their surrounding conditions change. They are fully biocompatible. The bots optimize their movements in order to get to hard to reach places in the human body. They're thought to have the potential to revolutionize targeted drug delivery. Nanocomposites and Nanoparticles The bots are made of hydrogel nanocomposites. They contain magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled by an electromagnetic field. They are so tiny and flexible they're able to swim through narrow blood vessels, arrive at the target and deliver drug thera