MIT chemical engineers discovered that tiny particles are able to work together collectively to generate an oscillating electrical current capable of being harnessed for use in microrobotics. These microparticles performed a simple chemical reaction that enables them to interact with each other by forming and bursting tiny gas bubbles.
When these particles interact under the right conditions, it creates an oscillator that behaves similar to a ticking clock, beating at intervals of a few seconds. Depending on how many particles there are, this oscillator beats at a frequency of about 0.1 to 0.3 hertz, which is similar to the low-frequency oscillators that govern biological functions such as walking and the beating of the heart. Speaking of particles, did you know this quantum microphone can detect individual sound particles at an atomic level?
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In addition to being interesting from a physics point of view, this behavior can also be translated into an on-board oscillatory electrical signal, which can be very powerful in microrobotic autonomy. There are a lot of electrical components that require such an oscillatory input,” said Jingfan Yang, a recent MIT PhD recipient and one of the lead authors of the new study.
