14 DAY TRIAL // A group of investigators at the University of Illinois, led by mechanical science and engineering professor Taher Saif, announces the development of bio-bots, a new type of biologically-inspired tiny robots that can swim through the human body just like male reproductive cells (or sperm) can.
Achieving such machines was a very complicated process, but one that could soon lead to the development of new methods for delivering drugs to highly-specific locations inside the body. For example, doctors could use them to target cancer cells in a tumor without damaging the surrounding tissue.
The hybrid robots are made up of live heart cells, which are propelled through the body by a flexible body and tail, made out of a special type of synthetic polymers. The machines move by contracting the heart cell, in a manner similar to the one used by male reproductive cells to move about.
The innovative constructs can move at a speed of 5 to 10 micrometers per second, though some more advanced versions can reach a top speed of 81 micrometers per second. The research team behind the hybrid robots also included researchers from the Arizona State University, IEEE Spectrum reports.