A team of researchers has created small swimmers that can harvest energy from their surroundings and convert it into movement. The discs, about twice as wide as a human hair, are amazingly partly made from dried food dye, according to a news release from New York University.
The fascinating project includes experts from Harvard, the University of Chicago, and elsewhere.
"The essential new principles we discovered — how to make microscopic objects swim on command using simple materials that undergo phase transitions when exposed to controllable energy sources — pave the way for applications that range from design of responsive fluids, controlled drug delivery, and new classes of sensors, to name a few," lead researcher Juan de Pablo, from NYU, said in the summary.
Applications could also include water pollutant cleanup.
The discs are made with food dye and propylene glycol. For their part, certain dyes are being banned from use in foods because of health risks. But the substances help form the innovative NYU swimmers. They have bumps on them, which are needed for moving through the special fluid — nematic liquid crystal — that's used in LCD screens. When the discs are hit with LED light, the food dye absorbs it, converting it to heat. This causes the typically well-organized liquid crystals to melt, "creating imbalance that pushes the disc forward," according to the release.
Temperature and lighting impact how the discs move. At top speed, the tiny units can zoom at about a micrometer a second. The experts said it's a "notable" speed for such a small device.
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In certain circumstances, the discs move in three dimensions, creating "beautiful flower-like patterns of light visible under a microscope." Amazing 12-petaled designs sometimes form with brighter lighting, per the summary.
"The platelet lifts due to an incompatibility between the liquid crystal's preferred molecular orientation at different surfaces. This creates an uneven elastic response that literally pushes one side of the platelet upward," de Pablo said.
At Binghamton University in New York, a team has developed small water skimmers that run on bacteria-powered biobatteries. The units can carry tiny sensors. Experts in the United Kingdom have developed tiny robots that can travel inside pipes to fix leaks, saving precious water from being wasted.
It's evidence of the rapid adoption of technology that can improve our lives and help power the shift to a cleaner future. Smart home gadgets, such as thermostats and LEDs, can be controlled with an app and save you hundreds of dollars a year with better electricity use. The tech can also help you reduce planet-warming fumes linked by NASA to increased risks for life-threatening severe weather, such as floods and wildfires.
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The NYU breakthrough is different from other small swimmers, such as bacteria that use "whip-like tails." Other human-made devices require chemical reactions. The NYU innovation uses cheap materials, heat, and light. The team said other types of liquids could possibly be adapted to the process, along with body heat to drive the reaction, all according to the release.
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