Gallium robot can flow through cage bars and reassemble itself
A liquefying robot that can change its shape—in the 1991 film “Terminator 2,” that was still science fiction. The invention of a research team from Hong Kong made the idea real: From a phase-shifting material containing gallium and neodymium oxide, the researchers created a very special robot. In an experiment, he was able to transform into a puddle and flow past the bars of a small cage the scientists had put him in. Afterwards, he transformed back into his solid, human-like form.
Unlike the T-1000 from “Terminator 2,” the robot is quite small. This very feature gives it a multitude of conceivable applications: In assembly and repair, it could reach difficult-to-access locations inside machines. Another field of application would be medicine. Tests have already shown that the robot is capable of both removing foreign objects from a model stomach and delivering medication there. In doing so, the machine builds on the success story of a small, crab-shaped mini-robot made of gallium that can remove deposits from blood vessels (as we reported).
The phase-shifting material of the robot contains neodymium particles in addition to gallium. Through their magnetic properties, the robot can specifically change or restore its shape in a liquefied state.
Gallium and neodymium oxide are primarily known as “energy metals” that we urgently need for the green transition. However, as we can see, they are also the “health metals” of tomorrow’s medicine. Investors can therefore expect attractive returns, including tax-free purchase and tax-free gains with a holding period of one year.