'At Dartmouth, a Remote-Controlled Robot'

article by KENNETH CHANGE here.

 

For a steerable piece of dust, look somewhere at Dartmouth College.

Researchers there have built what they say is the world's smallest untethered, controllable robot. When placed on a penny, it looks like a mole on the side of Lincoln's chin, measuring a hundredth of an inch by one four-hundredth of an inch.

...

The robot contains no motors or circuitry. Rather, it is a carefully carved piece of silicon that moves across a special surface that contains an embedded electrical grid. The main rectangular piece has one edge bent downward; from the side, it looks like an L that has toppled forward.

...

 

When an electrical voltage is applied, the silicon buckles, and the long leg of the L is pulled down against the surface. When an opposite voltage is applied, the silicon rectangle pops back and pushes the robot forward

...

To turn the robot, a stronger voltage pulse lowers an arm extending off one side of the rectangle. At the end of the arm is what looks like a tiny lollipop with a pointy thorn at the center. The lollipop snags the surface, and the robot runs in circles around it. Another pulse lifts the arm, and the robot heads straight again.