This Venom-like magnetic slime robotic was a giant hit in 2022

A magnetic slime robotic that drew comparisons to the Marvel character Venom may navigate by means of slim passages and repair damaged circuits

By Alex Wilkins

A gooey, magnetic slime robotic that may squirm by means of slim passages, grasp objects and repair damaged circuits captured the imaginations of science fiction followers worldwide earlier this yr, drawing comparisons to the Marvel character Venom, and introduced its creators an unprecedented quantity of curiosity.

“I didn’t expect to receive so much attention from the media after the New Scientist report,” says Li Zhang on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong. Within the days after its publication, Zhang was contacted by journalists from internationally, in addition to by a number of intrigued buyers who questioned in regards to the potential monetary rewards of creating the robotic additional.

Zhang’s workforce now intends to discover utilizing the robotic as a “third hand” for surgeons, the place it may help with duties like making use of stress and holding collectively tissue within the intestine.

One downside is that the magnetic slime can begin to dissolve in moist situations much like the human physique, so Zhang’s workforce is investigating different substances that may last more and stop hazardous magnetic supplies leaching out.