One of the things that the world of science fiction has brought us in the near future is more robots. But many would not expect that today’s news would evoke the arrival of one of the most fearsome in the universe, such as the T-1000 from Terminator 2, since it hasThey have managed to create a small liquid metal robot perfect for use in hard-to-reach places.
MPTM, this is the tiny robot that changes from solid to liquid
Surely the previous reference gives you a little idea of what we are going to tell you next. And it is that we are used to talking about humanoid-type robots like those created by Boston Dynamics that are capable of anything thanks to better artificial intelligence. Today we focus on a much smaller device, so much so that you would not even believe it is a robot.
We are talking about magnetoactive solid-liquid phase transition matter, or MPTM. It is a device developed in the Chinese University of Hong Kong where they have created a device small robotic that is capable of sneaking into the smallest places to carry out its maintenance tasks or extraction of elements as they show us in different multimedia files.
Its composition has psmall magnetic particles of neodymium, iron and boron attached to a small part of gallium, a metal that is capable of melting at a temperature of 29.8ºC. This allows him to transform into a solid item when he needs to and operate in places where it’s impossible for a medic or engineer to maneuver freely.
But every robotic element needs a power source and this comes from an external magnetic field that allows it to move freely. He is also capable of generating two parts of himself in order to generate two collaborative entities united with a purpose.
What apps does it have?
As we mentioned, the MPTM is a liquid robot capable of doing the most detailed work in order to help with larger tasks. The first field is that of medicine, where it can be used for the extraction of foreign bodies in the intestinal tract.
But its application is also transferred to the field of engineering and mechanics. Its operation is designed to tighten or loosen parts such as screws or nuts in places where a human cannot maneuver fluently. It is still in a development phase where we will have to wait and see how it works.
