'Bio-Bot’ That Swims Like Sperm Is An 'Exciting Advance’ In Self-Propelled Biological Robots

International Business Times ^ | Jan 18, 2014 | Philip Ross

[Anton.Rutter]

Engineers are pioneering a new way to explore the viscous fluids of biological environments, like the inside of the human body, where microscopes are difficult to place. Called a “bio-bot,” the microscopic biological machine swims like a sperm, is powered by heart cells, propelled by a tail and can navigate the aquatic world of micro-organisms on its own.

[Anton.Rutter]

The bio-bot, modeled after single-celled creatures with long tails, called flagella, is the first synthetic structure that can travel the channels of a biological environment unsupervised. The body of the bio-bot is made of a flexible polymer. Heart cells, or cardiomyocytes, are cultured at the head and tail of the synthetic organism. These cells contract which sends a beat, or energy, down the bot’s body and propels it forwards.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Call the new robot ‘Pud’.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Can you get one that will EMP a drone hovering over your house? :-)

[Fred Hayek]

nanoprobes

[ClearCase_guy]

[grania]

What could possibly go wrong?

[Scrambler Bob]

Like a sperm?

TSA wants them for probing.

[Patton@Bastogne]

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They certainly have the device ...


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