Researchers develop battery-free power for microrobots and implants

Researchers are developing new methods to power micro-scale devices without the need for bulky, traditional batteries.

At Fudan University, a team has created a paper-thin polymer gel membrane for microrobots. This membrane, which is roughly the thickness of a human hair, allows robots to harvest electricity directly from the surfaces they traverse, such as aluminum, zinc, or silicon. By using the ground as an active power source, the robots can operate continuously; in laboratory trials, a crawler successfully exceeded one million steps by consuming only about 2 grams of aluminum.

Separately, engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have designed an ultrathin, flexible mesh intended for implantable electronics. This technology aims to harvest energy from the human body to power devices like pacemakers or cochlear implants. By tapping into the electrical and mechanical energy produced by human cells, the mesh could provide a continuous power supply, potentially eliminating the need for invasive battery replacement surgeries.