Autonomous microrobots finally break the millimeter barrier

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan have developed autonomous microrobots that break the longstanding millimeter-size barrier, achieving fully integrated sensing, computation, and motion control at a scale of just 210 × 340 × 50 micrometers—about the size of a paramecium. This represents a volume roughly 10,000 times smaller than previous programmable robots. Unlike earlier microrobots that rely on external control systems such as magnetic coils or ultrasound arrays, these new robots operate independently, sensing their environment, making decisions, and acting autonomously. The devices are manufactured using fully lithographic processes, enabling low-cost production (under a penny per unit at scale), and can be programmed wirelessly via LED light to perform complex behaviors like climbing temperature gradients and encoding sensor data through movement patterns. Historically, microrobots have faced a fundamental trade-off: either be very small but externally controlled with no onboard intelligence, or be larger (around one millimeter)