Animals like bats, whales and insects have long used acoustic signals for communication and navigation. Now, an international team of scientists have taken a page from nature's playbook to model micro-sized robots that use sound waves to coordinate into large swarms that exhibit intelligent-like behavior. The robot groups could one day carry out complex tasks like exploring disaster zones, cleaning up pollution, or performing medical treatments from inside the body, according to team lead Igor Aronson, Huck Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics at Penn State.

Advances in technology have led to the miniaturization of many mechanical, electronic, chemical and biomedical products, and with that, an evolution in the way these tiny components and parts are transported is necessary to follow. Transport systems, such as those based on conveyor belts, suffer from the challenge of friction, which drastically slows the speed and precision of small transport. Researchers from YOKOHAMA National University addressed this issue by developing an untethered levitation device capable of moving in all directions. The frictionless design allows for ultrafast, agile movement that can prove to be very valuable in machine assembly, biomedical and chemical applications via contactless transport.

Researchers published their results in Advanced Intelligent Systems in July 2025.