Also called micromechanical systems (MeMs), micromachines are devices that They are smaller than a human hair.being used in tasks that are difficult to carry out by man or common machines.
Over time, microscopic machines have been subjected to different changes and adjustments in order to improve their performance.
The latest news on this matter comes from a team of researchers from Cornell University who carried out the installation of «brains» electronics in 100 and 250 micrometer robots powered by solar energy, so that they could exercise their locomotion autonomously without requiring any type of external control.
It is worth mentioning that in the past Cornell researchers had developed microscopic machines capable of crawling, walking, swimming and folding, although this could only be done by with the help of cables or some mechanism that required to be connectedso that they could receive the necessary electrical current to carry out the movement.
Now, with the implementation of these brains in their body, the robots can walk without the help of cables. Thanks to this innovation, the possibility of develop a new generation of microscopic devices that have the ability to perform tasks such as tracking bacteria, detecting the presence of chemicals, performing microsurgery, removing plaque from arteries, and removing contaminants.
As far as the brain of microscopic robots is concerned, it is made up of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) clock circuit in which a thousand transistors have been integrated, along with diodes, resistors and capacitors.
Likewise, the CMOS circuit that is integrated in this clock is made in such a way that it emits a signal capable of producing a series of square wave frequencies out of phase that control the movement of the robot.
Platinum actuators serve as the robot’s legs, which together with the circuitry are powered by photovoltaic energy.
It is worth mentioning that these new robots have a size 10 thousand times lower that of macroscale robots that have integrated CMOS electronics and move at speeds above 10 micrometers per second.
For the manufacture of these microrobots, a process aimed at customizing the electronics of the foundry was used, resulting in a platform in which other researchers can have the possibility of develop your own applications to incorporate them into microrobots, either chemical detectors or photovoltaic eyes that allow them to orient themselves in an environment by detecting changes in light.
