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Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an ultra-thin swimming robot powered by living muscle cells that move when exposed to light.
Described in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, the robot has a flexible gel body with two fins coated in genetically modified muscle cells thinner than a human hair.
By shining light on either fin, researchers can control the robot’s movement, speed and direction.
In tests, the robot successfully swam through a simple underwater maze, travelling up to four times its body length per minute.
The device marks a new advance in biohybrid robotics, which combines living tissue with engineered materials. Unlike conventional biohybrid robots that require bulky muscle structures and millions of cells, the thin design could be cheaper to produce and more efficient.
Ritu Raman, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and a study author, said such robots could eventually perform delicate tasks in fragile or unpredictable environments.
The team improved the gel framework to withstand muscle contractions and generate enough force to propel the robot through water. The findings could help researchers develop smaller, more flexible robots powered by living tissue.