2023-05-12 11:00:37
This robot is built to land on the brain. (Screenshot: New Scientist)
Science has advanced so far that microscopic robots can be whizzing through our bloodstream without us noticing. Researchers have now developed a robot with tentacles to monitor the brain.
It sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie. Researchers have developed a robot that can be inserted through a tiny hole in the skull. Once there, it unfolds six tentacle-like legs filled with sensors on the surface of the brain. This is how it is supposed to measure electrical activity. That reports New Scientist.
Compared to the traditional method, which requires surgeons to cut a hole in the skull to place electrodes on the brain’s surface, this new approach offers a less invasive alternative. The innovative design has been tested on miniature pigs and could in the future help people with epileptic seizures or other neurological disorders.
The softrobot is about an inch long, its legs are made primarily of flexible silicone polymer, and resemble curved flower petals that spiral around the central body. When the legs are fully extended, they cover a four centimeter radius. Each leg contains electrodes to monitor brain activity.
Placing the robot on the brain surface is challenging because there is virtually no gap between the brain and the skull. However, the researchers have built in mechanisms to prevent too much pressure being put on the brain.
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Strain sensors in each leg provide information on when they are fully extended, allowing for precise placement without additional cameras or external sensors.
The advantages of this new approach lie in its scalability. Future prototypes could have longer legs, eight or ten centimeters long, without having to enlarge the hole in the skull.
This innovative approach could revolutionize the traditional way of monitoring and treating brain diseases and offer patients a promising alternative.
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