Movie fans will certainly remember the incredible abilities of the t-1000 shapeshifting cyborg from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Recently, a Washington Post article showcases how a lab at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has developed a metal alloy that eerily replicates the transforming ability of the t-1000, allowing a small “robot” to melt through the bars of its cage and reform into its original self. What’s really happening is a combination of heating and cooling, in addition to magnetic fields in order to modify the form and location of the metal robot. On the other hand, the t-1000 is controlled fully autonomously, and has different motives than the robot composed of neodymium-iron-boron microparticles and liquid metal, which could potentially be of great use for clinical and industrial applications.
Scientists were less inspired by the form changing ability of the t-1000, but more by the sea cucumber which can change between soft and hard states allowing for a wider range of functions and abilities. This led the team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong to combine neodymium-iron-boron microparticles (commonly used magnets) and gallium, to create their robot. The magnets allow the scientists to swiftly move the robot through the simple use of a magnetic field and also for efficient phase change from solid to liquid due to induction. Gallium is a metal with a very low melting point (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and flows almost like water when melted. The resulting function of their creation is something that is easily controllable (through magnetic fields), highly flexible (melting allows for reach in tighter spaces) and also strong enough to perform various tasks.
The scientists demonstrated the functionality of their robot in the video above, where the robot seemingly transforms into liquid metal and then reforms to escape its cage. After heating up, the robot easily flows out of the cage (again with the help of a magnetic field), and then reforms once cooled into its original solid state.
The practical use demonstrated by the robot is to show how effective it is in reaching hard to reach places, while being able to reversibly change between solid and liquid. Another demonstration shows the material in a model for the stomach removing a foreign object. Similarly, it heats up and changes to liquid form, then “latches” onto the foreign object, after which it cools down and “carries” the object out of the stomach. Besides clinical applications, in industrial settings this material can be similarly used to help repair and modify hard to reach machinery. Both settings would greatly benefit from this type of technology, however there are some obstacles to overcome before then. Specifically in clinical settings, both neodymium-iron-boron microparticles and gallium are toxic to humans, so while this material may have functional advantages over other microrobotic materials, it may face difficulty before use inside of a human. The material is also somewhat difficult to control since it requires an external magnetic field and heat source (although, this will prevent fully autonomous cyborgs). Ultimately, readers should appreiciate this discovery as an innovative material with interesting functionality, and as a potentially important step in how scientists face challenges in the field of microrobotics.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/01/26/liquid-metal-shape-shifting-melting-robot/
https://www.cnet.com/science/see-a-real-life-terminator-robot-turn-into-liquid-to-bust-out-of-a-cage/
Wang, Qingyuan, et al. “Magnetoactive Liquid-Solid Phase Transitional Matter.” Matter, Jan. 2023. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2022.12.003.
This piece is both interesting and fun. Your title effectively uses the sci-fi connection and is likely to draw readers. The first graphic is a bit busy, but is quite informative on examination. Your lede is appropriately concise and makes quite clear the connection with sci-fi. Your explanation of the chemistry is quite good. The use and control of microparticles is an exciting area of chemistry right now. I also like to see the use of metals like gallium described. It reminds us of the richness of the periodic table. The potential applications are certainly exciting, but you are right to point out that the researchers are candid of the difficulties with this particular material. It is important to note that the material is toxic and that once liquified it does not "remember" its previous solid shape but is restored to that shape by powerful magnetic fields. You note appropriately the general interest source (The Washington Post). This is an appropriate post emphasizing positive aspects of modern chemistry while being candid about the need for further work in order to extend the results to actual practical applications.
ReplyDelete