A team, led by Mingming Wu, a Chinese professor of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has closely studied bacteria, sperm, and cancer cells over the last decade to better understand how they move through the body and communicate with their surroundings. This has guided their work in creating micro-robotic swimmers that can be remotely controlled to navigate the body, say to fight cancer on a cellular level, with this targeted drug delivery. It is believed it will create a more effective treatment with fewer side effects.

When the micro-robotic swimmer is submerged in a solution, tiny air bubbles are trapped in a pair of cavities etched in its back. Ultrasound waves are aimed at the robot, causing the air bubbles to oscillate and generate movement.

https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/post/cornell-researchers-developing-cancer-fighting-micro-robots-propelled-by-bubbles-ultrasound