UK scientists have built tiny swimming robots, inspired by human sperm, with a view to providing a cheap, efficient means of drug delivery. Designed to travel through a patient’s blood vessels, the flea-sized swimmers consist of a magnetic head and elastic tail, and are stimulated into moving by the application of an electromagnetic current. As they swim, their tail motion pumps fluids forward through the channel. The researchers hope that this approach will be useful for treating conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, where drugs need to pass quickly from one part of the body to another.
UK scientists have built tiny swimming robots, inspired by human sperm, with a view to providing a cheap, efficient means of drug delivery. Designed to travel through a patient’s blood vessels, the flea-sized swimmers consist of a magnetic head and elastic tail, and are stimulated into moving by the application of an electromagnetic current. As they swim, their tail motion pumps fluids forward through the channel. The University of Exeter-based team now aims to make the robots even smaller.