Ultrasound-activated microbubble arrays create flexible actuators for applications ranging from soft robotics to minimally invasive surgery The post Microbubbles power soft, programmable artificial muscles appeared first on Physics World.

Ultrasound-activated microbubble arrays create flexible actuators for applications ranging from soft robotics to minimally invasive surgery The post Microbubbles power soft, programmable artificial muscles appeared first on Physics World.

A stingraybot made from microbubble array artificial muscles, directed using ultrasound and capable, for example, of transporting medication to the right location. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09650-3 Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed artificial muscles that contain microbubbles and can be controlled with ultrasound. In the future, these muscles could be deployed in technical and medical settings as gripper arms, tissue patches, targeted drug delivery, or robots.

A stingraybot made from microbubble array artificial muscles, directed using ultrasound and capable, for example, of transporting medication to the right location. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09650-3 Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed artificial muscles that contain microbubbles and can be controlled with ultrasound. In the future, these muscles could be deployed in technical and medical settings as gripper arms, tissue patches, targeted drug delivery, or robots.

Researchers from Skoltech, ITMO University, and their colleagues have reported new findings about the behavior of microbubbles exposed to ultrasound. The data obtained by the team will enable the creation of more stable and safe microbubbles that could have therapeutic applications as vehicles for drug delivery to the brain and targeted activation of anti-cancer agents, and would make it possible to limit intense ultrasound exposure, avoiding its side effects. The study is published in Acta Biomaterialia.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed artificial muscles that contain microbubbles and can be controlled with ultrasound.

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In an extraordinary breakthrough that could revolutionize environmental chemistry and advanced oxidation processes, a team of researchers has unveiled new insights into the spontaneous generation of hydroxyl radicals at the interfaces of microbubbles without the aid of catalysts. This unprecedented discovery challenges the conventional understanding that requires catalytic substances to produce these highly reactive species, expanding the possibilities for chemical and environmental engineering.