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Stop whatever you are doing and watch these microrobots zoom around a "microfactory" like ants.

These magnetically controlled construction robots -- developed by SRI International -- work together in swarms to build macro-scale structures.


The core innovation has been to develop a magnetic surface that can control individual microrobots without affecting the other robots. SRI has developed a Diamagnetic Micro Manipulation technology that uses printed circuit boards to drive and control microrobots using simple low-cost magnets that are propelled electromagnetically. The aims is to develop cost-effective swarms of robots that can handle a variety of materials, including electronics.

SRI wants the robots to be used to manufacture high-quality macro-scale products using millimetre-scale structural control. The robots can carry components (whether electronic or mechanical), deposit liquids or analyse quality while building parts of differing sizes.

The robots can climb walls, travel on flex circuits in any orientation and perform extremely fast, choreographed moves en masse. The fastest speed achieved so far by the tiny robots (a few millimetres across) is 35cm per second.


The video shows robots with tiny attachments performing different tasks. In one shot two robots are gluing together carbon fibre rods -- one applies the glue to the rod while the other puts it into place. In another scene microrobots work together to build a 29cm-long cubic structure made out of hundreds of lightweight rods glued together in this way.

SRI envisions the technology being used for pick-and-place manufacturing, rapid prototyping, electronics manufacturing and biotechnology.

The microrobots have received funding through Darpa's Open Manufacturing Program, which aims to "lower the cost and speed of delivery of high-quality manufactured goods with predictable performance" using probabilistic computational tools, informatics systems and rapid qualification approaches.