Microscopic swimming robots that deliver drugs around body could revolutionise cancer treatment, say Chinese developers
- Reminiscent of Fantastic Voyage film, micro-robots inspired by tardigrades would allow precise and efficient delivery of chemotherapy, according to paper
- Researchers consider the benefit of using multiple clawed bots for better imaging inside the patient
The idea of tiny robots has existed in the public imagination and scientific community for some time. In the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, doctors were shrunk to a microscopic size to save a sick scientist by journeying in his body in a tiny submarine. Since the beginning of this century, scientists have constructed various micro-robots to move around in the body or carry medicine.
However, the challenges of being biocompatible, biodegradable and easily navigated remain.
New research spearheaded by professors Wu Zhiguang, a biotechnology expert, and Zhao Jie, a robot expert, both of whom are affiliated with the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), provides a sound solution. Their paper on the research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on May 5.
