Scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have created a moveable magnetic slime that can penetrate through narrow holes and take various shapes. In the future, this slime may become the basis for a new generation of robots.
This amazing substance has visco-elastic properties, that is, it can behave both as a liquid and as a solid. It is created from a mixture of borax, polyvinyl alcohol and magnetic particles. The viscosity of this liquid changes under the action of force, so it is also called a non-Newtonian fluid. If pressed quickly, it will behave like a solid, and if pressed slowly, it will behave like a liquid.
If the slime is pressed with a magnet, it can rotate, move, and take the shape of the letters “O” and “C.” It is an excellent conductor of electric current and can be used to connect electrodes.
It is planned to create miniature robots based on the new material. It is assumed that such a robot will be able, for example, to retrieve accidentally swallowed objects from the gastrointestinal tract.
So far, the main problem with slime is that the magnetic particles it contains are toxic. Experts have coated the slime with a layer of silica to isolate the toxic components, but they say safety will depend on how long the slime spends in the human body for now.