These researchers have created “liquid robots” that work without electricity

When you listen to “liquid robot” you may remember the evil T-1000 from the movie ‘Terminator 2’ and his unfriendly face, but this concept changes radically when we talk about systems used in a laboratory. A group of researchers assures that they have created “liquibots” capable of operating autonomously, continuously and without the need for electricity.

The study authors, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, they say were inspired by insects that walk on water to design an innovative liquid robotic system. This could be used to perform automated tasks, such as handling dangerous chemicals, yes, as long as they are in an aqueous solution.

Theft liquid “divers”

The team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the Department of Energy and the University of Massachusetts Amherst explains that, unlike previous systems, liquibots do not require electrical power to function since they discovered that it is possible “feed” them with the salt deposited in the surrounding liquid solution.

Liquibots are like little open sacks that have only 2 millimeters in diameter. When they “feed” they become heavier and consequently sink to the bottom of the container. There they collect the selected chemicals and, by means of a new chemical reaction that generates an oxygen bubble, they rise again towards the surface.

With their precious cargo and already on the surface, another chemical reaction pushes the liquibots to the edge of the container where “land”, discharge the chemicals obtained and feed again. The researchers note that, like the pendulum of a clock, this system can run continuously as long as there is “food” in the system.

Now, with this significant advance, researchers will focus on how to use them to carry out different tasks. For example, detect specific gases in the environment or react to certain types of chemicals.

Going forward, it is believed that this technology could be used to create “autonomous and continuous robotic systems that examine small chemical samples for clinical applications or drug discovery and synthesis applications“.

More information | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory