Inspired by natural jellyfish and rotifers such as coelenterates and floating organisms, the group of HUANG Xin at Tianjin University has developed a fully flexible “smart droplet robot” of 150 to 600 microliters size. The ultra-compact and fully programmable liquid smart robot can move, deform and sense under different environmental conditions. It can carry multiple sensors, e. g., for temperature, humidity, optical signals, stress, glucose, food toxins and wireless energy collection. It could be applied to genetic testing, chemical synthesis, and application of drugs, and has the potential to become a “blood vessel doctor” who enters the human body and conducts examinations and treatments.
Xinhua news release, November 12, 2019
Tianjin group invents flexible electronic devices with soft sensors and circuits within liquid droplets