Check Out This Tiny Metal Robot That Can Melt & Become Solid Again

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have presented a tiny, millimeter-sized robot that can melt and solidify to perform various tasks, like repairing circuits or removing objects from the body.

The robot is made from a mix of the liquid metal gallium and pieces of a magnetic material made of neodymium, iron, and boron. When solid, the material can support an object 30 times its mass. To make it soften, the researchers used magnets. "The magnets’ customized magnetic fields exerted forces on the tiny magnetic pieces in the robot, moving them and deforming the surrounding metal in different directions."

To experiment, the team used the robots to solder a small light bulb onto a circuit board and extract an object from an artificial stomach. In the latter case, it moved to the object, melted over it, and removed it. The researchers also created a LEGO figure out of the material and made it escape from prison.

There are a lot of applications for such a handy robot. What else do you think it could be used for? Share your thoughts, read more here, and don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform, our Reddit page, and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.