In late years, advancements in soft robots have been remarkable. According to Phys, these tiny robots developed to move through hard paths and conduct biological activities in the body may have great potential applications in biomedical aspects. These probable applications include prosthetics, pain alleviation, and surgery.
Nanowerk notes how present-day soft robots intrinsically function based on materials that are elastomeric, like silica gel. However, this needs the introduction of bulky components and substantial processing steps. Such material has great limitations regarding its ability to be deformed compared to its typical biological equivalents.
ALSO READ: 7 Most Advanced Humanoid Robots in the World: Find Out How Robotics is Changing the World
Completely Aquatic Robotic Systems
A recent study published in ACS Nano focused on such soft robots. The proponents behind this study were able to devise a robotic system that was completely water and that handles the said limitations through groundbreaking advancements,
The team came up with what are called "Aquabots." These bots are a new type of extremely soft fluid robots primarily made of water. These tiny and vascular robots are printed on a completely liquid 3D printing tech with a double-phased aqueous system with an interfacial assembly. This helps break two different polymers that are aqua-based.
Professors Anderson Shum and Thomas Russell, leaders of the study, expressed how their thought was to assemble such materials in a way that the liquid shape gets captured by the structure and interface. Such shapes are determined by external drivers, such as magnetic drivers, or are constructed through completely aquatic 3D printing.
Though the shapes can be made through 3D printing that is fully aquatic, the Aquabots' building blocks that have multiple compartments have micrometer scales and are beyond the reach of print resolutions. Through aquatic phase separation, which involves the yielding of two different liquid phases from one homogeneous mixture, the Aquabots assemble on their own. This assists in producing the Aquabot's building blocks that overpower the obstacle to deformability.
Phys notes how Professor Russel shares that it is easy to functionalize the outside of the compartmentalized membranes. Examples of this would be the binding of catalytic nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, and enzymes that pass on sensitive magnetic reactivity.
The research team showed how these bots, enabled by the enzyme glucose oxidase, may execute pouring reactions.
Aquabots
These aquabots have movements that are smooth. Their nature is soft and has notable connections with the sense of touch. They also can load manipulation components and active ingredients within their structure and membrane. Such aquabots are also capable of encapsulating drugs with their compartment structures. They can also move through narrow and tight areas to deliver drugs inside the body.
Their shape is also flexible to adapt to dimensions and clutch particular objects. Deformability has been a pressing challenge for experts because bots sometimes get trapped before reaching their destination in the drug delivery process.
Professor Russel notes how the bots are completely aquatic. They have water within and outside of them. They can be biocompatible and may be applied in various ways.
The team is hopeful about the potential of these multicompartmental, multifunctional, and biocompatible Aquabots as they may pave pathways for biomedical applications in real life. They are also looking into adding hydrogels that are biodegradable and biocompatible.
Professor Shum shares how it may be worth exploring the other functions and characteristics facilitated by the platform in their future work.
RELATED ARTICLE: Shapeshifting Robot 'Magnetic Slime' Developed to Search and Retrieve Inside Human Bodies
Check out more news and information on Tech and Innovation in Science Times.
