The ability to accurately measure tiny displacements of microscopic bodies has applications in sensing trace amounts of hazardous biological or chemical agents, perfecting the movement of miniature robots, accurately deploying airbags and detecting extremely weak sound waves traveling through thin films. (sciencedaily.com)
The course, which explored predictions of developments in economics, politics, and science, discussed how researchers envisioned someday using miniature robots — nanobots — to perform repairs in the brain. (sciencemag.org)
The episode begins with Colan visiting the lab of Brad Kratochvil at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, where he and his team are developing miniature robots powered by magnets. (scientificamerican.com)