Scientists in South Korea have unveiled swarms of tiny magnetic robots that mimic the collaborative strength of ants to achieve incredible tasks, from carrying heavy cargo to navigating complex environments.
These microrobots, described in a study published in the journal Device, could one day tackle challenges such as clearing clogged arteries or precisely guiding organisms.
The team, led by Jeong Jae Wie from Hanyang University in Seoul, developed the robots to operate under a rotating magnetic field, enabling them to work together in swarms. Their potential applications include minimally invasive medical treatments and other tasks in difficult-to-reach environments.
“The high adaptability of microrobot swarms to their surroundings and high autonomy level in swarm control were surprising,” Wie, a researcher in the Department of Organic and Nano Engineering, said in a recent statement.
Feats of Strength
Wie and his team tested how swarms with different configurations performed various tasks. One test showed a swarm of 1,000 microrobots forming a dense raft on water, enabling them to wrap around a pill weighing 2,000 times more than any robot. The swarm successfully transported the pill across liquid—a promising step toward drug delivery applications. A video of this performance can be seen here.
On dry land, the robots demonstrated similarly impressive feats. A swarm transported cargo 350 times heavier than an individual robot. Another swarm was able to unclog tubes designed to simulate blocked blood vessels. Further tests had the robot swarm drag an ant for some distance.
In another experiment, swarms configured with high aspect ratios climbed obstacles five times taller than a single robot’s body length and propelled themselves over barriers. The researchers even developed a system that allowed the microrobots to guide the movements of small organisms using spinning and orbital dragging motions.
Magnetic Robots Inspired by Nature
The study was inspired by the way ants cooperate to accomplish tasks beyond the ability of any individual. For example, ants create rafts during floods or form living bridges to cross gaps. Similarly, the microrobot swarms are designed to maintain functionality even if some members fail. The rest of the group continues their programmed motions until the task is complete.
Unlike previous swarm robotics research on spherical robots, Wie’s team designed cube-shaped robots. This design maximizes contact between robots, creating stronger magnetic attractions.
“Previous swarm robotics research has focused on spherical robots, which come together through point-to-point contact,” Wie explains. “In this study, we designed a swarm made up of cube-shaped microrobots, which share stronger magnetic attractions since larger surface areas—entire faces of each cube—can come into contact.”
Each robot measures 600 micrometers tall and contains an epoxy body embedded with magnetic particles of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB). This composition allows the robots to respond to external magnetic fields and interact with one another. The researchers used a cost-effective production method to ensure the robots were uniform in geometry and magnetic properties. Watch the robots in action here.
“We developed a cost-effective mass production method using onsite replica molding and magnetization, ensuring uniform geometry and magnetization profiles for consistent performance,” Wie says.
A Future of Microrobots
While the experiments showcased impressive capabilities, the microrobots are not yet ready for real-world applications. The swarms currently rely on external magnetic control and cannot independently navigate complex environments like real arteries.
“The magnetic microrobot swarms require external magnetic control and lack the ability to autonomously navigate complex or confined spaces like real arteries,” says Wie. “Future research will focus on enhancing the autonomy level of the microrobot swarms, such as real-time feedback control of their motions and trajectories.”
With further advancements in autonomy and control, these tiny magnetic robots could revolutionize fields ranging from medicine to industrial engineering, showing that, like ants, small robots can achieve extraordinary things when they work together.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Science Communicator at JILA (a world-leading physics research institute) and a science writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with her on BlueSky or contact her via email at kenna@thedebrief.org