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Robots now grow and repair themselves by consuming parts from other machines

Today’s robots are stuck—their bodies are usually closed systems that can neither grow nor self-repair, nor adapt to their environment. Now, scientists at Columbia University have developed robots that can physically “grow,” “heal,” and improve themselves by integrating material from their environment or from other robots.

Described in a new study published in Science Advances, this process, called “Robot Metabolism,” enables machines to absorb and reuse parts from other robots or their surroundings.

“True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves,” explains Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington. “Just as absorbs and integrates resources, these robots grow, adapt, and repair using materials from their environment or from other robots.”

The magic of magnons: Material properties changed non-thermally using light and magnons

“The result was a huge surprise for us. No theory has ever predicted it,” says Davide Bossini.

Not only does the process work—it also has spectacular effects. By driving high-frequency pairs via laser pulses, the physicists succeeded in changing the frequencies and amplitudes of other magnons—and thus the magnetic properties of the material—in a non-thermal way.

“Every solid has its own set of frequencies: electronic transitions, lattice vibrations, magnetic excitations. Every material resonates in its own way,” explains Bossini. It is precisely this set of frequencies that can be influenced through the new process.

Chiral metasurfaces encode two images: One visible, one revealed by polarized light

By leveraging the concept of chirality, or the difference of a shape from its mirror image, EPFL scientists have engineered an optical metasurface that controls light to yield a simple and versatile technique for secure encryption, sensing, and computing.

Rabi-like splitting observed under electrical control in artificial magnets

Rabi-like splitting is one of the key concepts in modern quantum technology. Fully understanding it can help us advance our knowledge in quantum information processing. Assistant Professor Aakanksha Sud (Tohoku University), Dr. Kei Yamamoto (JAEA), Professor Shigemi Mizukami (Tohoku University), and collaborators discovered that Rabi-like splitting could be achieved using nonlinear coupling, which remarkably preserves the symmetries of the system. This result opens up various possibilities to deepen our understanding of nonlinear dynamics and coupling phenomena in artificial control.

The findings were published in Physical Review Letters on June 20, 2025.

In , when there is a coupling between two harmonic oscillators with an ideal oscillation , the oscillation frequency splits to two different frequencies in the coupled system. The difference in these two frequencies is referred to as Rabi .

Researchers Solve Long-Standing Magnetic Problem With Atom-Thin Semiconductor

Scientists found a way to control magnetism in ultra-thin materials using CrPS₄, opening the door to more compact and energy-efficient technologies. A recent scientific breakthrough has unveiled a promising new technique for manipulating magnetism in ultra-thin materials, potentially paving the w

This Simple Laser Trick Could Supercharge Quantum Tech

In a major advance for quantum technology, researchers have discovered a surprisingly simple method to preserve atomic spin coherence using just a single laser beam. Scientists have developed a surprisingly effective technique to preserve atomic information, addressing a major obstacle in the adv

AI Hardware Revolution: Scientists Create Largest Spin Waveguide Network

A new method has been developed that enables large networks to efficiently process the advanced information demands of the future. The growing use of artificial intelligence is putting significant strain on global energy systems. This has intensified the search for more energy-efficient hardware

Scientists Discover a New “Magic Number” That Could Rewrite the Rules of Nuclear Physics

Physicists have discovered that silicon-22 reveals a new proton magic number offering critical insights into nuclear structure and the forces shaping the universe’s rarest atoms. In nuclear physics, “magic numbers” refer to certain quantities of protons or neutrons that make an atomic nucleus sig

This Forbidden Particle Could Break String Theory

Physicists from the University of Pennsylvania, working with colleagues at Arizona State University, are examining the limitations of a framework that aims to unify the laws of physics throughout the universe. There are two great pillars of thought that don’t quite fit together in physics. The St