Hardware Podcasts

217. Meet the World's Smallest Walking Robots

The Next Byte Podcast · 8 Apr 2025 · 15m

What this episode covers

Hosts Daniel and the co-host discuss a breakthrough from Cornell University researchers who created the world's smallest walking robot, measuring 2 to 5 microns wide—40 times smaller than their previous record. The robot is entirely magnetically controlled, using an array of nanoparticles with different magnetic properties to achieve inchworm-like motion without batteries or wires. The hosts highlight how the robot's mechanical bending acts as a diffractive lens, enabling both high-resolution imaging and force sensing at the tissue level for potential medical applications.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cornell University, Mouser Electronics, Starship Robotics
Products
Figure One

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