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Diodes Could Drive Swimming Micro-Robots

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the robot-parade dept.

finisterre writes "Diodes can be made to 'swim' through salt water by hitting them with an alternating electric field. The applied field induces a current that sets up a field between the diode's electrical contacts and creates a propulsive force. The abstract of the paper in Nature Materials is freely available. New Scientist has videos of the swimming diodes in action."

2 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Uhhh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    In Soviet Russia, robotic sperm overlords run alternating current through you!

  2. And me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    And me with this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side.