A University of Waterloo engineering research team has developed the world’s first flying micro-robot capable of manipulating objects for micro-scale applications. The mini-’bot discovery provides researchers with more control over the micro-scale environment—with tiny objects at levels too small to be manipulated by humans—allowing them to move and place tiny objects with greater precision.
It defies the force of gravity by flying, or levitating, powered by a magnetic field. It moves around and dexterously manipulates objects with magnets attached to micro-grippers, remotely controlled by a laser-focusing beam.