Cell-sized robots could help find disease within your body
Small robots aren't anything new, from DARPA's insect-sized disaster relief bots to diminutive inchworms powered by humidity . Now, though, researchers at MIT have likely created the smallest robots, yet: Microscopic, cell-sized electronic circuits made of two-dimensional materials that catch a ride on colloids, insoluble particles that stay suspended in liquid or even air. Since these minuscule devices can sense their environment, store data and carry out computational tasks, they could eventually be found in oil and gas pipelines, checking for leaks. They could be deployed into the air at a chemical refinery to sense harmful byproducts, or even into the human digestive tract for early detection of illness. "We wanted to figure out methods to graft complete, intact electronic circuits onto colloidal particles," MIT's Michael Strano said in a blo
