Microrobotic Tentacles Perform Delicate Tasks

Jun-14-15 Tiny robotic tentacles gentle enough to pick up an ant without crushing it could have applications in high-precision work, such as embryonic surgeries.

Still in the R&D stage, the tentacles are about the thickness of a human hair, and are made up of a soft, rubber material embedded with a network of tiny pneumatic channels. Pumping compressed air into the channels will cause the soft tentacle to coil in a “gentle spiraling and scooping motion” that could be used to manipulate blood vessels or embryos during minimally invasive surgery.

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[GIZMODO.COM]
[NATURE.COM]

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