Dancing Micro-Robots Waltz on a Pin's Head

coondoggie writes to mention that Duke University researchers have created micro-robots and made them dance to their tune. With dimensions measured in microns, these tiny bots were made to waltz to the music of Strauss on the head of a pin just one millimeter across. "In another sequence, the devices pivot in a precise fashion whenever their boom-like steering arms are drawn down to the surface by an electric charge. This response resembles the way dirt bikers turn by extending a boot heel, researchers said. The researchers said they have also been able to get five of the devices to group-maneuver in cooperation under the same control system.Known as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microrobots, the devices are of suitable scale for Lilliputian tasks such as moving around the interiors of laboratories-on-a-chip."

Comments

How many robots can dance on the head of a pin?

[ciaran.mchale]

The researchers just have to call these micro robots "angels". That then will finally answer the age-old question.

They can't hear the music

[EmbeddedJanitor]

They're too small, relative to the wavelength, to hear. So how can they be dancing to it ?

Re:They can't hear the music

[Anonymous Coward]

They are not dancing in response to audio stimulation at all. They are dancing in response to voltage fluctuations in their "dance floor". Kind of like the duck that dances on top of an inverted kettle... it doesn't work if you forget to put the candle under the kettle!

Grey goo..

[onion2k]

So when the grey goo comes I'll finally be able to get a dance partner? Woo!

I wonder if it puts out on the first date..

Where's the movie of the waltz on a pin's head?

[heroine]

The blogger keeps referring to dancing robots, links to a home video of an amateur recital of something, links to some robot videos from years ago, but nothing here showing robots dancing a waltz on a pin's head.