Rather than replacing the sperm, the robot acts as an external support mechanism, assisting cells that would otherwise struggle to complete their journey.
The result is a tiny living-machine partnership capable of navigating microscopic environments with extraordinary precision.
Building a Microscopic Robot
Creating a spermbot requires advanced manufacturing techniques operating at scales thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand.
Researchers use a process called two-photon nanolithography, a sophisticated form of 3D printing capable of producing structures measured in micrometers.
The resulting device resembles a tiny helical spring or corkscrew.
Continue on the next page:
