Comments on: Magnetically actuated microbots

By: Dax

Dax — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:36:24 +0000

Videos should be before the jump please.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:27:30 +0000

Not to belittle this achievement, but this isn’t a robot by any stretch of the imagination; no more than if I dragged a metal box down the street on a rope.

By: w00t0t

w00t0t — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:45:20 +0000

I have to agree, nanorobotics is a new field, but when I look at that it looks like a little chuck of magnetic material being manipulated by an external force. Now that doesn’t mean it can’t do something useful, like moving delicate parts into place or manipulate tissue in medical procedures. Its just when I think of a robot (autonomous or not) I think of a self controlled device capable of its own locomotion.

It is amazing how they can control it though, I wonder how acuratley they can place that “robot”.

By: DigitalMind

DigitalMind — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:20:35 +0000

Yeah I agree. I’m pretty sure there’s a reason they don’t show any of what is actually controlling it.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:43:28 +0000

That video really brings new meaning to the old phrase “turns on a dime”

it does turn very abruptly, on the dime or off.

By: twistedsymphony

twistedsymphony — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:39:05 +0000

is it just me or can that thing not move on a diagonal?

By: MisterCharlie

MisterCharlie — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:05:21 +0000

I agree with barry, nanorobotics will need to work on microscale actuators before really calling it robotics.

By: barry99705

barry99705 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:58:08 +0000

I wouldn’t really call that a robot. It’s more like a little bitty magnet being moved by other magnets. Kinda like I used to do on the kitchen table, just smaller.