Researchers at Cornell University have developed the smallest walking robot yet, opening up new possibilities for advanced imaging and force measurements at the microscopic scale. These tiny robots, which are just 5 to 2 microns in size, can maneuver independently, interact with light waves, and perform intricate tasks such as moving across tissue samples to take images and measure forces at a scale previously impossible for conventional microscopes.
Led by Paul McEuen, the John A. Newman Professor of Physical Science Emeritus at Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, the team’s work represents a significant leap in both robotics and optical technology. The paper, Magnetically Programmed Diffractive Robotics, was recently published in Science, with McEuen as the corresponding author. Conrad Smart, a researcher at Cornell’s Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP), and Tanner Pearson, Ph.D. ’22, are co-first authors.
Continue reading… “Cornell’s Groundbreaking Miniature Walking Robots Could Revolutionize Microscopy and Force Measurement”