Architecture and functions of a battery-free wireless SES monitoring system. (A) Schematic exploded view illustration of the system with four key modules, including (1) battery-free wireless RF power, (2) electromagnetic actuation, (3) integrated sensors for ion and virus monitoring, and ( 4) an NFC wireless system. detection. (B) FEA-simulated magnetic field distribution of the electromagnetic actuation coil. (C) Magnitude of soft tail vibrations during electromagnetic actuation simulated by FEA. AU, arbitrary units. Credit: Scientists progress (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk6301
A team of biomedical engineers and roboticists affiliated with several institutions across China has developed a type of small soft robot that can swim in water and test for the presence of contaminants. In their article published in the journal Scientists progressthe team notes that the robot can be powered and controlled using radio waves.
Sending a robot into water pipes to test for pollutants could be useful to city managers. Unfortunately, such robots are not available, leaving gaps in testing, although one team came close in 2022 with the development of a twisted soft robot capable of navigating mazes without human or computer guidance .
In this new study, the Chinese team developed a soft robot that can be placed in a water source and propelled and steered using radio wave energy. For now, they’re calling it a miniaturized Electromagnetic Soft Swimmer (SES).
The SES is shaped like an arrowhead with a notch in the back: engineers placed a tail in the notch that moves in the same way as a dolphin’s tail, thanks to a built-in magnet and a coil antenna, enabling propulsion. The tail is activated by taking advantage of radio wave energy.
The robot was also equipped with three sensors, one that could test and measure chloride levels in the water surrounding it, another that did the same for ammonia, and yet another that could test for the presence of the SARS virus -CoV-2. The robot also has a chip to process information from sensors and send signals to a nearby smartphone. The team also developed software that graphically displays sensor data.
Laboratory tests of the device showed that it worked well when propelled through small pipes filled with water. The researchers note that in its current form, the robot would only be useful in small, short-distance applications: the robot cannot venture more than 4 cm from the radio wave source and 10 cm of the smartphone receiving the data transmissions. They plan to continue working on their robot to find ways to use it in more remote settings.
More information:
Dengfeng Li et al, Battery-free, wireless and electricity-powered soft swimmer for water quality and virus monitoring, Scientists progress (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk6301
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Quote: A soft swimming robot without wires or batteries that can test for contaminants (January 22, 2024) retrieved on January 22, 2024 from
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