Flower Power: The Development of Dynamic Microscopic Robots
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have created microscopic soft robots shaped like flowers that can change shape and behavior in response to their surroundings.
These tiny ‘DNA flowers’ are made from special crystals formed by combining DNA and inorganic materials, and can reversibly fold and unfold in seconds.
Each flower’s DNA acts like a tiny computer program, telling it how to move and react to the world around it.
Potential applications include delivering medicine or cleaning up pollution, offering a promising vessel for these tasks.
Author's summary: Microscopic robots made from DNA and inorganic materials.