In a major step toward intelligent and collaborative microrobotic systems, researchers at the Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) at Chemnitz University of Technology have developed a new generation of autonomous microrobots—termed smartlets—that can communicate, respond, and work together in aqueous environments.

These tiny devices, each just a millimeter in size, are fully integrated with onboard electronics, sensors, actuators, and energy systems. They are able to receive and transmit optical signals, respond to stimuli with motion, and exchange information with other microrobots in their vicinity.

The findings are published in Science Robotics, in a paper titled “Si chiplet–controlled 3D modular microrobots with smart communication in natural aqueous environments.”

A line of engineering research seeks to develop computers that can tackle a class of challenges called combinatorial optimization problems. These are common in real-world applications such as arranging telecommunications, scheduling, and travel routing to maximize efficiency.

Unfortunately, today’s technologies run into limits for how much processing power can be packed into a computer chip, while training artificial-intelligence models demands tremendous amounts of energy.

Researchers at UCLA and UC Riverside have demonstrated a new approach that overcomes these hurdles to solve some of the most difficult optimization problems. The team designed a system that processes information using a network of oscillators, components that move back and forth at certain frequencies, rather than representing all data digitally. This type of computer architecture, called an Ising machine, has special power for parallel computing, which makes numerous, complex calculations simultaneously. When the oscillators are in sync, the optimization problem is solved.

The research was less about what’s wrong with today’s AI models and more about what’s wrong with how companies are trying to use them