Scientists develop micro-robots that can flow like a fluid or collectively assemble into solid shapes

In a nutshell: Researchers have developed minuscule robots that can "assemble" and behave like a collective, building new shapes and tools. Inspired by nature, the team identified and developed the main features a robotic collective would need to achieve its programmed goal. Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) designed a "material-like" collective of programmable micro-robots, which can behave like a fluid or bond together to create new solid structures. The technology could lead to the development of a new sub-field of robotics. The UCSB scientists set out to design simple robots that could work together, like a colony of ants or other collective groups. The study, recently published in Science, describes micro-robotic units that can switch from a "fluidizing" state to a more "solid" shape based on the rotational state of the robots. The idea is ripped straight from science fiction concepts like the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The resear ... Read full article.