Revolutionizing Medicine: Self-Folding Microbots Deliver Drugs Inside the Body

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a way to use chemical reactions to self-fold microscale origami machines, allowing them to operate in dry environments and at room temperature. The breakthrough could lead to the creation of tiny, autonomous devices that can rapidly respond to their chemical environment. The team exploited a rapid kinetic moment in a catalytic reaction to deform and bend ultrathin platinum sheets, creating a hinge-like movement. The system can actuate at 600 milliseconds per cycle and operate at 20 degrees Celsius. The researchers anticipate applying the technique to other catalytic metals, such as palladium and palladium gold alloys.