MIT scientists build a tiny robot that swims using living muscle cells

AI Summary

MIT engineers built a thin swimming robot powered and steered by living muscle cells that respond to light. The researchers say such self-healing biological robots could eventually explore fragile environments that conventional machines may damage.

MIT engineers have built a paper-thin swimming robot powered by living muscle cells that respond to flashes of light, allowing it to swim and steer through water. The breakthrough could pave the way for tiny, self-healing biological robots capable of exploring fragile environments that ordinary machines cannot safely navigate.