Tiny Magnetic Robot Can Fly Without Batteries or Wires

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Researchers in California have unveiled a groundbreaking tiny robot that requires no batteries or wires to fly. Instead, it uses magnets and an external magnetic field to glide through the air. Developed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, this bot is a mere 9.4 millimeters wide and weighs only 21 milligrams—lighter than a grain of rice.

The bot’s 3D-printed frame is made from photopolymers that harden under light, while its two powerful N52 magnets, each just 1 millimeter wide, provide the necessary "push and pull" to make it move. The key to its flight lies in an external 3.1 millitesla magnetic field (about a third of the strength of a refrigerator magnet), combined with a 310Hz alternating frequency to lift the bot off the ground. As the magnetic field adjusts, so does the robot's flight path.

Currently, the bot can only stay airborne within 10 centimeters of the magnetic coils, but future advances in magnetic field strength could expand its range to up to a meter. The team also suggests that beamforming coils, which direct a magnetic "beam" to a target, could improve its mobility.

Though still in the prototype phase, the team envisions this magnetic robot paving the way for insect-sized flying devices. Potential uses include search and rescue, environmental monitoring, wildlife studies, and even medical procedures—imagine a tiny flying robot performing endoscopies. With further development, this innovative bot could soon revolutionize many fields with its unique, battery-free flying capability.