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MIT engineers build a paper-thin swimming robot powered by muscle cells

MIT says flashes of light make the robot’s muscle cells twitch, propelling it about four body lengths in a minute.

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2 Sources, 20h ago, first seen 20h ago

TLDR

MIT describes a paper-thin aquabot powered by muscle cells that twitch when illuminated. It swam about four body lengths in a minute and made its way through a watery maze.

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4.1K

2 Sources, first seen 20h ago

21 likes3 saves1 reposts

Combined views

4.1K

2 Sources, first seen 20h ago

21 likes3 saves1 reposts

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2 Sources

@IntEngineeringMIT engineers have developed a swimming robot thinner than a stick of gum, powered by a single layer of living muscle cells grown on a flexible gel film. The cells are genetically engineered to contract in response to light, causing the robot's fins to flap and propel it through water. By flashing light on one fin or the other, researchers can steer the robot and control its speed. In tests, the robot successfully navigated a watery maze, swimming at roughly four body lengths per minute — comparable to a cow shark. The design is the first two-dimensional, muscle-powered robot capable of locomotion. Unlike previous biohybrid robots built from bulky 3D muscle chunks requiring millions of cells, this approach uses far fewer cells and could be cheaper to build. Potential applications include environmental monitoring in fragile aquatic environments where conventional hardware would cause damage.20h
@augustcoolPowered by muscle cells, a paper-thin robot swims through watery maze MIT engineers’ new aquabot offers a way to design small, efficient “biohybrid” robots. https://news.mit.edu/2026/powered-by-muscle-cells-paper-thin-robot-swims-through-watery-maze-09292h
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    2 Sources

    @IntEngineeringMIT engineers have developed a swimming robot thinner than a stick of gum, powered by a single layer of living muscle cells grown on a flexible gel film. The cells are genetically engineered to contract in response to light, causing the robot's fins to flap and propel it through water. By flashing light on one fin or the other, researchers can steer the robot and control its speed. In tests, the robot successfully navigated a watery maze, swimming at roughly four body lengths per minute — comparable to a cow shark. The design is the first two-dimensional, muscle-powered robot capable of locomotion. Unlike previous biohybrid robots built from bulky 3D muscle chunks requiring millions of cells, this approach uses far fewer cells and could be cheaper to build. Potential applications include environmental monitoring in fragile aquatic environments where conventional hardware would cause damage.20h
    @augustcoolPowered by muscle cells, a paper-thin robot swims through watery maze MIT engineers’ new aquabot offers a way to design small, efficient “biohybrid” robots. https://news.mit.edu/2026/powered-by-muscle-cells-paper-thin-robot-swims-through-watery-maze-09292h
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