Magnetic power: How a robotic slime might change the world
By Ian Chan
In April 2022, the first iteration of a new material was created by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), a breakthrough that might change not only the medical world but technology as a whole. But what is it and what can it do? And what does this mean for the future of robotics?
Photo by ThisIsEngineering: https://www.pexels.com/photo/prosthetic-arm-on-blue-background-3913025/.
Liquid-like robots are a concept that has long existed within the world of science-fiction, with movies like The Terminator or Venom showing complex robots capable of changing shape at will. But this innovation, dubbed the Magnetic Slime Robot, or goo-bot, is the closest to the concept of liquid metal. The material works by using magnets to move its slimy body towards certain goals, and although not fully autonomous with an artificial intelligence (AI) capable of dictating complex courses of actions, it is still quite an interesting sight to behold.
“Robots still seem to lack the touch needed to do the most fine detailed tasks humans do, but as we've seen, robots are getting better and better at those tasks.”
The slime itself works in quite a fascinating way, with the body of the slime being made of a complex chemical structure capable of holding the magnets in place and being able to slide its way through small crevices. The slime was created by mixing neodymium magnet particles, detergent borax, and the resin polyvinyl alcohol. However, due to the toxicity of the magnetic particles, they finish the product by coating the particles with silica. According to the co-creator of the product, Li Zhang, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, “When you touch it very quickly it acts similar to that of a solid, but when touched softly it behaves like a liquid.”
The robot is capable of quite a lot of things: for example, its conductivity allows for the robot to be quite applicable for repairs, especially of power lines, which have very special repair procedures that can leave areas without power for hours, and may cause death to the repair workers if they are not careful. This slime helps avoid all that, by making the slime capable of going through tight surfaces and being capable of stretching quite a bit from point A to point B meaning it possible for the robot to connect power lines, or even access small areas inside a house to restore power.
We contacted Melissa Booker, a DP Physics and MYP Science teacher at RCHK to ask for her thoughts on whether or not the robot could be a positive development and if the conductivity of the robot could be dangerous to the human body. Booker said: “The conduction of electricity is not necessarily harmful for the body, for example our neurons, heart, and other muscles do just that. The developers would just need to make sure the slime robot's coating is insulative as well as non-toxic for the body.”
“Perhaps one day we will be asked to bow down to our robot overlords, but that is still a long way off!”
However that was not the intended purpose of the robot. The main thing that the creator Li Zhang had in mind when constructing and designing the robot was to develop its theoretical ability to be used in biological areas. It can be used to further grab physical objects or clear certain areas in the body. For example, it could be used to grab physical objects lodged in the human body. This was the reason why the robot was designed to go into small and narrow areas as it would allow for the robot to traverse the human body much more easily.
Kimberly Stewart, DP Chemistry and MYP Science teacher in RCHK, gave her thoughts on the biological aspects on the robot, and whether it could be dangerous. Stewart said, “If the slime ingredients were ingested individually they could be harmful, especially the PVA as it is glue and could cause a blockage. As they are used together with the magnetic particles and can be controlled so as to avoid blockage or to collect another item that was ingested, medically speaking the slime should not be harmful.”
The future looks hopeful with an invention like this robot being introduced to the world. With its many uses being applied onto the medical world along with many other places it could bring great change in our lives. Booker and Stewert both share a positive outlook for the future of the robot. As Booker says: “The future of robots continues to be to do tasks that are harmful, repetitive or even inefficient for humans to do. So far, robots still seem to lack the touch needed to do the most fine detailed tasks humans do, but as we've seen, robots are getting better and better at those tasks. Perhaps one day we will be asked to bow down to our robot overlords, but that is still a long way off!”