A Magnetic Slime Robot That Could Retrieve Swallowed Objects

A "magnetic slime" robot has been developed by scientists that might be inserted into the body to carry out duties like recovering accidentally eaten objects. The substance, which has a custard-like consistency, has the ability to squeeze through tight spaces, grip things, and repair damaged circuits. When external magnets are applied to it, it can also be made to move, rotate, create O and C forms, and even self-heal.

In order to create a slime that can be remotely controlled by external magnets, Professor Li Zhang at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and his associates combined neodymium magnet particles with borax, a common home cleanser, and polyvinyl alcohol.

A few years ago, magnetic putty—which resembled slime and could move independently—was a preferred fake toy. That, it turns out, gave rise to a concept for a novel class of soft robot that might be employed to inspect and remove obstructions within the human gastrointestinal system. The magnetic slime bot may find and grasp hold of any harmful objects that a patient might ingest, including metal fragments, watch batteries, or even little pieces of string.

It can be bent into many different shapes and even moved into very small areas thanks to its magnetic properties. And the term "magnetic turd" was chosen to characterize it because of where it might be utilized and how it appears.