Robot can squeeze itself through cracks
The biological robots of the future must be soft and flexible like real animals. The Octobot sets an example.
Biological role model: Octopus Size: Fits into the palm of a hand
Biobots combine biological material and synthetic parts, but scientists aim to come as close to nature as possible. The Octobot octopus robot does not include cells, but it is the first robot which is just as flexible as many invertebrates. Like its role model, it can consequently squeeze itself into the narrowest of places and, moreover, it will be able to handle fragile materials more carefully than a traditional underwater robot with grip hooks.
The "softy" body is possible, because the robot includes neither printed circuits nor batteries. Instead, it is powered by a type of blood circulation system like that of biological creatures. Larger versions of the Octobot could be used for search missions or military surveillance in impassable places of the oceans.
lab. Tissue technology is a new field that allows the isolation, growth, and genetic manipulation of cells that can be used to grow an organ or build a robot. By inserting extra genes into the cells, scientists can change their characteristics, so they become sensitive to light, which can be used to control the biobots. Heart cells from rats are most frequently used in biobots today, because the heart muscle is so flexible that it is well suited for producing the small contractions that make a robot swim or crawl. Scientists even hope that it will one day be possible to make an artificial heart and other organs by means of the knowledge gained from the small cyborgs. Today, biobots are rather simple designs that can only exist in special nutrient fluids in a lab, but soon they could be used practically. Some may be so big that they can be used in rescue missions. Others will be so tiny that they can travel into blood vessels, removing tumours or carrying medication. Some scientists are working on being able to do without the artificial elements, creating purely biological machines. This type of robot will be soft and more flexible than robots with mechanical parts. Completely biological robots also involve the advantage that a group of them can be let loose in the ocean to remove pollution or used in a search mission, and when they have completed their missions, they can just sink to the bottom. Without metal and batteries full of chemicals, these "creatures" become a part of the biological cycle.