Putting a robot in your eye could be the next innovation in medical technology.
Researchers in Zurich are building nearly microscopic bots to help with delicate surgeries. The bot has a retractable needle for probing and a body that is only a quarter-millimeter in diameter — which is the equivalent of about 4 human hairs. This means it's as thin as a surgical scalpel and its needle is just as sharp.
Given the size of the robot, any surgery could be non-invasive and minimal. Unlike a conventional robot, however, it is too small to carry any kind of battery or drive. To get around this, researchers developed a system called "The OctoMag," which uses a series of electromagnets around the patient's head to power the robot. Then, by slightly increasing or decreasing the force of the electromagnets, the robot is pushed or pulled through the body.
The system is not yet ready for humans, though researchers did conduct a first round of experiments with the technology by exploring the eye. The team in Zurich is looking to perfect it and hopes to shrink the nanobot to even smaller proportions.