08-31-2015, 02:19 AM
Scientists are forever keen to get tiny robots working inside our bodies, despite pop culture warning us against the idea. Researchers from UC San Diego have joined the fray with a new idea: "microfish" robots that could one day "swim" through your bloodstream and cleanse toxins. The team devised a 3D-printing method called "microscale continuous optical printing," that let them create hundreds of fish-shaped bots thinner than a hair in just a few seconds. The printer is capable of creating custom shapes and adding nanoparticles that perform different functions, thanks to millions of micromirrors that project UV light onto photosensitive materials.