Researchers from Gazi University in Turkey created an untethered robot without any electronics by coating paper with a mixture of silicon resin and iron particles. Carrying a sensor for detecting heavy metals, the magnetically controlled robot can move towards a sample and test it for contamination. Published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, this work highlights an emerging class of soft robots that are both multifunctional and constructed from simple materials. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c105

Animation: How magnetic Reconnection works