Swarms of ‘ant-like’ robots lift heavy objects and hurl themselves over obstacles
Scientists have developed swarms of tiny magnetic robots that work together like ants to achieve Herculean feats, including traversing and picking up objects many times their size. The findings suggest that these microrobot swarms — operating under a rotating magnetic field — could be used to take on difficult tasks in challenging environments that individual robots would struggle to handle, such as offering a minimally invasive treatment for clogged arteries and precisely guiding organisms.
Scientists have designed swarms of microscopic robots that communicate and coordinate using sound waves, much like bees or birds. These self-organizing micromachines can adapt to their surroundings, reform if damaged, and potentially undertake complex tasks such as cleaning polluted areas, delivering targeted medical treatments, or exploring hazardous environments.
In crowded environments, more robots don’t always mean faster results—in fact, too many can bring everything to a standstill. Harvard researchers discovered a surprising fix: adding a bit of randomness to how robots move can actually prevent gridlock and boost efficiency. By allowing robots to “wiggle” slightly instead of marching…
An international research team involving Konstanz scientist David Garcia warns that the next generation of influence operations may not look like obvious "copy-paste bots," but like coordinated communities: fleets of AI-driven personas that can adapt in real time, infiltrate groups, and manufacture the appearance of public agreement at scale.