News•Dec 23, 2025
'Stingraybot' Uses Microbubble Muscles Controlled by Ultrasound
ETH Zurich researchers unveiled a 4 cm "stingraybot" that swims by flexing silicone membranes embedded with micro‑bubbles, all controlled wirelessly via ultrasound. The micro‑bubble muscles respond within milliseconds, enabling both simple curvature and complex undulatory motions depending on bubble size distribution. Demonstrations include a gentle gripper that captured a zebrafish larva without injury, a wheel‑bot that traversed a pig's intestines, and ultrasound‑activated drug‑delivery patches. The team envisions swallowable capsules and implantable devices that could transform minimally invasive surgery and targeted therapy.
