Micro Robots

Robots.net posted a cool article yesterday. Researchers from the Argonne National Lab as well as other researchers were able to cultivate and channel the swimming motion of bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) to move micro gears. The picture (taken from robots.net) shows the bacteria pushing the gears. It also gives the time at each point of the gear rotation. You have to remember though, these gears are very small. The idea is that this could be a way of forming micro robots that can preform minuscule tasks. And the power would come from an army of bacteria, pushing the gears. How cool is that? In a way, its close to nanotechnology, in the sense of how small these robots would have to be. What do you think scientists and researchers would created with this kind of technology?


* For the full article please go to http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news091216a.html