Each microrobot is shaped something like a spatula but with dimensions measuring just microns, or millionths of a meter. They are almost 100x smaller than any previous robotic designs of their kind and weigh even less. The devices are about 60 microns wide, 250 microns long and 10 microns high that each run off power scavenged from an electrified surface. Propelling themselves across such surfaces in an inchworm-like fashion impelled by a “scratch-drive” motion actuator, the microrobots advance in steps only 10 to 20 billionths of a meter each, but repeated as often as 20000x a second.

choco-nano bots can’t be far off. hmm chocolate!

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