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Microscopic robots (microrobots) with integrated electronic chips have a range of potential medical, environmental and industrial applications. However, such systems have only recently become mass-producible, using either a body-first or a brain-first approach to fabrication.
Ingestible electronic devices could transform gastrointestinal medicine by combining diagnostic and therapeutic functions into a single miniature device. But challenges related to device miniaturization, power-efficient integrated circuit design and data security remain to be addressed.
Biohybrid robots, which rely on living muscles to drive force generation, could be of use in applications ranging from microsurgery to unmanned exploration. But the development of untethered and autonomous machines will require the integration of onboard electronics for sensing, control and power.
Enhancing the generality of multi-robot systems is critical for their deployment in open-world applications. Achieving this will require the development of general collective intelligence.
