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MIT builds tiny robotic swimmer powered by living mouse muscle

Original: 🐟 NEW: # MIT engineers built a # robot swimmer the size of a stick of gum, powered by a single sheet of living # mouse m

MIT engineers have created a robotic swimmer about the size of a stick of gum, powered by a sheet of living mouse muscle less than 15 micrometers thick. Light at 470 nanometers makes the cells contract, bending gel fins that let the robot steer itself through a maze at roughly four body lengths per minute. The work is drawing attention as a striking example of biohybrid robotics, combining living tissue with artificial materials.

Why now: A newly announced biohybrid robot combining living muscle tissue with soft robotics is a striking engineering milestone.

MITrobotic swimmermouse muscle tissue

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Evidence

• 🐟 NEW: # MIT engineers built a # robot swimmer the size of a stick of gum, powered by a single sheet of living # mouse muscle less than 15 µm thick. # Light at 470 µm makes the # cells contract, bending gel fins to steer it through a maze at four body lengths per minute.… · tksst@fediscience.org · 3

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