MIT Develops Ultra-Thin Swimming Robot Powered by Living Muscle Cells
- Published
- Source
- InterestingEngineering.com
MIT engineers have created a paper-thin swimming robot that utilizes a single layer of living muscle cells, showcasing a novel approach to biohybrid machines. This innovative design allows the robot to swim and navigate through water with significantly less biological material compared to previous models, achieving speeds of up to four times its body length in one minute.
The significance of this development lies in its potential to revolutionize the construction of small, efficient robots powered by living tissue. The robot's design features a gelatin-based film and muscle cells that are genetically engineered to respond to light, enabling precise control over its movement and direction.
Looking ahead, this research opens new avenues for biohybrid robotics, emphasizing the importance of material composition in enhancing muscle performance. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
Living muscle cells help MIT’s new ultra-thin robot swim underwater
InterestingEngineering.com · Kaif ShaikhThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
Rights concerns? Contact [email protected] with the relevant URL and details. We will review the matter and take appropriate action where warranted.
More related news
- 1
-
2
RobotToday Weekly November 9–13, 2026 RobotToday · 1 day ago
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
-
8
RobotToday Weekly November 2 – 6, 2026 RobotToday · 1 week ago
- 9
- 10
-
11
RobotToday Weekly October 26 – 30, 2026 RobotToday · 2 weeks ago
- 12
Related Suppliers
Biomimetic Robotics Lab, MIT
United States
MIT Mechanical Engineering lab led by Prof. Sangbae Kim that created the Cheetah 3 and backflipping Mini Cheetah quadrupeds and the MIT Humanoid.
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.
United States
Vernon Hills, Illinois factory-automation subsidiary of Japan's Mitsubishi Electric; sells MELFA robots, MELSEC PLCs, and CNC systems in North America.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation 三菱電機株式会社
Japan
Japanese multinational electronics and electrical equipment maker producing the MELFA series of industrial robots and comprehensive factory automation systems.
Texas Tech AI & Robotics Lab
United States
Texas Tech University research lab advancing bioinspired robotics, AI, and evolutionary computation within the Whitacre College of Engineering.
MAB Robotics
Poland
Poznan, Poland robotics company founded in 2019 as a Poznan University of Technology spin-off; builds the IP67-rated Honey Badger quadruped robot.
regenHU Ltd
Switzerland
Swiss 3D bioprinting pioneer founded 2007; makes R-GEN and 3DDiscovery bioprinters for tissue engineering, drug discovery, and oral dose formulation.
Organovo Holdings
United States
Organovo Holdings is a USA biotech company that pioneered 3D bioprinting of human tissues using its NovoGen platform for pharmaceutical drug development.
Suzhou Rochu Robotics Co., Ltd. 柔触机器人
China
Zhangjiagang soft-robotics firm supplying pneumatic soft grippers for food, 3C and auto parts, and in 2026 unveiling the 22-DoF muscle-driven Rochu Hand.
Clone Robotics
Poland
Wroclaw developer (founded 2021) of musculoskeletal androids driven by water-powered Myofiber artificial muscles: Clone Hand and the Clone Alpha android.
Endoenergy Systems
United Kingdom
UK-India collaboration commercializing wearable assistive lower-limb exoskeletons for elderly people, based on 15+ years of R&D by Prof. G.S. Virk.
Alt-Bionics, Inc.
United States
San Antonio startup making affordable myoelectric bionic hands; Genesis Hand at $6,000, 6 DOF, targeting prosthetics and humanoid robotics.
ReLogic3D
United States
Metrology-grade industrial 3D scanning systems built on structured light and robotics, delivered at roughly half the cost of high-end competitors.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
Join the RobotToday community on LinkedIn
Daily robotics news, in-depth analysis, conference highlights, and discussions with professionals worldwide.
