10/10/2025

At Chemnitz University of Technology, researchers have presented a new class of microrobots called smartlets. Only one millimeter in size, these self-sufficient devices are capable of moving in water, exchanging information, and coordinating with each other. The results, published in Science Robotics, open perspectives for medicine, water monitoring, and sensing.

Image: The picture shows a tiny, transparent cube-shaped microrobot placed on the tip of a finger; Copyright: Jacob Müller

A smartlet microrobot developed at Chemnitz University of Technology: just one millimeter in size, capable of movement, communication, and collaboration in water.

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At the Research Center MAIN of Chemnitz University of Technology, a team of researchers has developed a new type of modular microrobot. The so-called smartlets can independently send and receive signals, move in water, and cooperate with one another.

Technical features

Each smartlet, measuring just one millimeter, contains integrated electronics, sensors, actuators, and an energy system. Photovoltaic cells supply energy, while micro-LEDs and photodiodes allow optical data transfer.
"For the first time, we demonstrate a self-contained microrobotic platform that not only senses and moves in water but also interacts with other microrobots in a fully programmable and autonomous manner," explains Prof. Oliver G. Schmidt, Scientific Director of MAIN.

Origami-inspired design

The smartlets are produced using an origami-based approach. Flat multilayered materials fold into hollow 3D cubes that provide both interior and exterior functions. This design creates additional space for solar harvesters, computational logic, and optical signaling systems. In water, buoyancy-driven movement is enabled by bubble-generating engines inside the hollow cube.

Communication via light

Smartlets transmit instructions using optical signals. When one unit receives a light signal, it decodes the information on its onboard processor and triggers coordinated actions in others.
Dr. Vineeth Bandari highlights: "The idea of using light as both energy and information opens up a compact and scalable way to create distributed robotic systems."

Wireless and decentralized

Unlike earlier microrobot systems, smartlets do not rely on external magnets, cameras, or antennas. They use a wireless communication loop and integrate silicon chiplets, or lablets, through a soft-bonding process. These lablets were initially developed in an EU-funded project under Prof. John McCaskill. This integration supports decentralized collaboration.

Potential applications

The possible uses for smartlets extend to:

Medical diagnostics: supporting minimally invasive procedures
Environmental monitoring: assessing water quality in real time
Technology and industry: enabling soft robotics, inspection systems, and distributed sensing networks

Dr. Yeji Lee emphasizes: "We’re exploring ways to further increase autonomy by adding chemical and acoustic sensing modules. These smartlets could evolve into multifunctional platforms that sense, act, and adapt in complex fluidic environments."

COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: Chemnitz University of Technology

More about the TU Chemnitz at: www.tu-chemnitz.de/en