The World's Smallest Programmable Robot.

Researchers have unveiled a micro-robot, almost too small to see, that can autonomously "sense, think, and act." This groundbreaking device, smaller than a grain of salt and capable of resting on a fingerprint ridge, is the world's most compact programmable robot that navigates fluids, vastly shrinking prior designs.

It's the first time a true computer – complete with a processor, memory, sensors, and propulsion – has been integrated into such a minute platform. Developed by teams at the University of Pennsylvania and Michigan, it moves, senses, acts, and computes using minimal solar power. It can even gauge fluid temperature and communicates via small "dances," similar to bees.

Nanorobotics engineer Marc Miskin notes this breakthrough, putting a "brain, sensor, and motor" into an almost invisible package, opens vast possibilities for microscale robotics. Previous tiny robots struggled beyond a millimeter, but this invention overcomes the unique physics of the micro-world where drag and viscosity dominate.

Its innovative propulsion system generates an electrical field, creating a fluid flow around its body, effectively moving itself by "causing the river to move." This device, which can form synchronized groups akin to fish schools, represents just the beginning. Researchers foresee enhancing its memory for even more complex, autonomous functions.

Reference
by Carly Cassella, Smallest Programmable Robot Can Barely Be Seen
sciencealert.com  Available at     https://www.sciencealert.com/the-worlds-smallest-programmable-robot-can-barely-be-seen
(Assessed: 20th January 2026)