Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
7 comments 
Liquid Robot Developed By Korean Researchers Changes Shape, Passes Through Metal, Reforms Itself, And Can Operate In Medical Procedures And Operations In Extreme Environments
At first glance, the liquid robot created by Korean researchers seems like something out of a movie. Small and highly versatile, it moves across water, passes through metal barriers, withstands drops and compression, and is even capable of dividing and reforming, as if it were a science fiction character coming to life in the laboratory.
The project, described in a study published in Science Advances, places the liquid robot at the center of a new generation of devices capable of acting in tiny spaces, in contact with fluids, in complex machines, and even in disaster scenarios. The initial tests show enormous potential for medical, industrial, and rescue applications, with movement control via ultrasound and high adaptability.
From Villain T-1000 To The Liquid Robot Of Real Life
In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the villain T-1000 was marked by the ability to deform, slip through cracks, and reform itself like an indestructible liquid metal. For a long time, this idea seemed restricted to science fiction.
-
The oceans are darkening all over the planet – what is happening?
-
An engineer designs a solar plane to fly on Mars at an altitude of 1,000 meters and a speed of 300 km/h, covering 16,000 kilometers in a Martian year, 900 times the distance traveled by the Ingenuity helicopter in three years on the planet before experiencing a rotor failure, and NASA is already funding the feasibility study.
-
A new phenomenon of contactless magnetic friction intrigues scientists and questions a theory that has been valid since the 17th century.
-
An impressive phenomenon in Northern Brazil causes rivers of different colors to flow side by side, revealing secrets about sediments, currents, and biodiversity.
Now, the liquid robot created by Korean researchers brings this concept closer to reality, showing that it is possible to build structures that reorganize themselves in challenging environments.
The key to the innovation lies in the use of extremely dense hydrophobic particles that repel water and surround the structure of the robot.
This combination of properties makes the liquid robot capable of moving freely over water as well as solid surfaces, maintaining stability even in conditions that would topple traditional devices.
How The Liquid Robot Passes Through Metal And Reforms
The behavior of the liquid robot goes beyond simple movements. In experiments, it passes through metal barriers, withstands high-impact drops and extreme compression, transports substances, and fuses with other liquid robots.
Even after dividing into parts, the liquid robot fully regains its original shape, which is essential for applications in environments where access is difficult or dangerous.
This ability to navigate obstacles and reform allows for potential uses within closed structures, pipelines, internal machine parts, or hard-to-reach areas for conventional tools.
In situations where the path is narrow, uneven, or full of obstacles, a liquid robot capable of adapting to the space could make the difference between success and failure of an operation.
Ultrasound Controls Movements And Paves The Way For Medical Use
During the series of tests, scientists discovered that it is possible to control the speed of the liquid robot‘s movements using ultrasound.
This means that directed sound waves can accelerate, decelerate, or guide the robot’s movement in environments filled with obstacles or fluids.
This characteristic makes the liquid robot especially promising in biomedicine. Among the envisioned applications is the targeted delivery of medications within the human body, guiding small payloads to a specific point with high precision.
Instead of spreading the drug throughout the bloodstream, the liquid robot could transport localized doses, reducing side effects and increasing the effectiveness of certain treatments.
Operations In Complex Machines, Disaster Zones, And Extreme Terrain
The potential of the liquid robot is not limited to medicine. The research team highlights that it can operate in complex machines, like industrial systems filled with moving parts, pipelines, narrow cavities, and hard-to-reach areas for maintenance.
A robot with this flexibility can inspect, transport small loads, or perform targeted interventions without requiring complete disassemblies.
Moreover, the liquid robot is seen as a candidate for use in extreme terrain or disaster zones, where the environment is unstable, dangerous, or filled with debris.
By adapting to the terrain, entering crevices, navigating around debris, and passing through narrow spaces, the robot could aid in search for victims, collection of samples, or assessment of structural risks without directly exposing people to danger.
Next Steps: Control By Sound Waves And Electric Fields
Researchers continue to explore new possibilities for the liquid robot. The goal is to develop technologies that allow it to change shape even more freely, using not only ultrasound but also sound waves at different frequencies and electric fields.
The idea is to increase the level of control over the shape and movement of the liquid robot, creating quick responses to external commands in diverse environments.
With this, it would be possible to adjust the liquid robot to elongate, flatten, divide, or join with other modules, according to the mission’s needs. In contexts of high complexity, this flexibility could enable tasks that currently require various different equipment or direct human intervention.
Other Advances In Robotics Show Alternative Paths
The liquid robot is not the only recent innovation presented in laboratories around the world. Researchers in California have created a robot produced by 3D printing that can walk without any electronic components, using a compressed gas cartridge to move.
This robot is essentially ready to use, with the material already prepared, and is capable of traversing surfaces like grass and sand, as well as walking underwater. In tests, when connected to a source of constant pressure gas or air, the robot operates continuously for several days, without interruptions.
It uses a circuit that converts gas energy into movement for each of its six legs, which can move up, down, forward, and backward.
Researchers are now exploring ways to store gas within the robot itself, add claws, and test biodegradable or recyclable materials, making the concept even more sustainable.
This approach, like that of the liquid robot, shows that robotics is exploring completely new pathways, without relying solely on traditional rigid and electronic components.
Liquid Robot: Science Fiction Today, Real Tool Tomorrow?
With all these capabilities, the liquid robot created by Korean researchers symbolizes a paradigm shift. It moves from being just a curious experiment to becoming a model of how future machines may behave: flexible, adaptable, capable of overcoming barriers and reforming without losing functionality.
Unlike the villain of fiction, the declared goal is for the liquid robot to be used for good, helping to save lives, facilitating complex operations, and exploring challenging environments more safely. There are still many steps ahead, but the possibilities are already great enough to attract the attention of the scientific world.
And you, do you think the liquid robot should be used first in delicate medical procedures or in operations in machines and disaster zones?
Nada me tira da cabeça que vai ter uma rebelião das máquinas ,já tem os humanóides robôs agora essa ,vamos ter que chamar o exterminador do passado pq o futuro já tá aí no presente……
Hasta la vista, baby! E foi assim o início do fim.
Gostaria de prova esse líquido pra ver a evolução no corpo humano vira um policial do futuro contra as máquinas