Revolutionary shape-shifting robot liquifies to escape confinement

The researchers demonstrated the robot's abilities by utilizing it in various settings.

The 1991 movie "Terminator 2" introduced audiences to the shape-shifting robot T-1000, leaving fans in awe and skeptics questioning the possibility of such technology. However, over the past 30 years, advancements in science have made it a reality. Recently, researchers announced the creation of a robot that can switch between solid and liquid phases, allowing it to navigate through various obstacles while maintaining its strength. The team demonstrated the robot's capabilities in multiple scenarios.

The researchers from China who conducted the study stated that the robot's ability to bypass limitations makes it useful in industries such as electrical manufacturing and the medical field. Engineer Chengfeng Pan from The Chinese University of Hong Kong was quoted as saying, "Giving robots the ability to switch between liquid and solid states increases their capabilities." The study, which was published in Matter, explains how small magnetic particles were incorporated into the liquid metal and how those particles altered the metal's temperature by changing its magnetic properties.

A video was also made to demonstrate the robot's ability to change its state, in which it is seen melting and then quickly returning to its original shape by cooling down, similar to the T-1000 from Terminator 2. The scientists explained that sea cucumbers, which can adjust the stiffness of their tissues to enhance load-bearing capacity and reduce physical damage, served as inspiration.

The scientists utilized gallium, a metal with a low melting point of 29.76 degrees Celsius, in the creation of the robot. They achieved a "magnetoactive solid-liquid phase transitional machine" by incorporating a mixture of magnetic particles within the gallium. The magnetic particles perform dual functions in this instance. They make the material responsive to an alternating magnetic field, enabling phase change and induction heating.

Additionally, the magnetic particles also provide the robot with the ability to move in response to the magnetic field, as stated by Carmel Majidi, a mechanical engineer and co-author of the study from Carnegie Mellon University.