For the first time, a team of scientists from Hokkaido University in Japan has shown that a swarm of molecular robots can be utilized for the delivery of cargo, indicating that molecular-sized robots can work together to complete a task.
As specified in a ZME Science report, swarm robotics is a "budding field concerned with the use" of numerous autonomous robots for carrying out a specific function.
Scientists use tiny molecular robots to transport cargo for the first time https://t.co/FjrSIFbsMv
— ZME Science (@ZMEScience) April 20, 2022
The demonstration is marking a landmark moment in the field, as the molecular robots, and the research team in Japan are claimed as the first working micro-sized machines in the world, that are capable of swarming together.
About five million robotic units were developed by scientists, and together, the robots successfully transported polystyrene beads with diameters as large as 30 micrometers.
Scientists developed tiny molecular robots that can work in collaboration to complete a task.
Robots That Work Together
In a related report, ScienceDaily specified that a single unit could only transport beads of sizes up to three micrometers, although with the robots that work together, they can attain much more, which is the reason scientists are quite interested in devising these collaborative swarms of molecular robots.
Essentially, a molecular robot is a system that transforms energy gotten from an external source like electricity, light, or chemical, into motion.
More so, the molecular robots created by scientists at the said university are mainly biological molecular machines.
According to Professor Akira Kakugo, who led the demonstration together with Dr. Mousumi Akter, a molecular robot is an "integrated system" built through the combination of different molecular parts or devices that may work as actuators, sensors, and processors.
Swarm Formation Initiated
In this circumstance, the actuator propelling the robots is a protein known as Kinesin, DNA is the compressor, and an azobenzene, an organic photoactive molecule, functions as a sensor.
In the presence of visible light, azobenzene is directing the DNA to create double strands and initiates swarm formation that has microtubules. While she explained the swarm formation, Kakugo stressed the role that DNA is playing in the system.
The scientists compared the transport volume and transport distance covered by a single robot and swarm separately and discovered that the efficiency of swarms was five times greater compared to that of the single molecular unit.
In their study published in the Science Robotics journal, the study authors said they want to give brains to molecular robots.
However, this is only the beginning of the team. After they successfully showed the transportation ability of their micro-machines, the researchers are now looking forward to adding stronger sensors and introducing artificial intelligence in the molecular swarm system so that the micro-robots could have powerful eyesight and carry out multiple complex tasks together.
Also, according to Kakugo, the next step is to make their molecular robots smarter. His team believes that their inventions have great potential.
Converting Industries Like Healthcare and Robotics
Later on, they could be used as an effective means to transport deliver drugs transport cargo, collect micro-pollutants from the environment, and construct nano-parts.
Furthermore, such robotic swarms can benefit molecular power-generation devices as well, and micro-devices that can identify pathogens.
Undoubtedly, molecular robot swarms can convert industries such as healthcare and robotics. This demonstration by the research team is described as a "fantastic start" in this direction.
Nonetheless, the development and implementation of highly-efficient molecular robots are much more complicated compared to that life-sized robots. Therefore, it would be interesting to see which kind of robots first turn mainstream in the future, if it's the so-called "droid" or the swarm type.
Related information about molecular robots being developed by scientists is shown on Johnny Singh's YouTube video below:
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