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According to a study published in the journal Matter, a team of scientists has developed a shape-shifting robot that can transform from a solid to a liquid state.

Led by engineer Chengfeng Pan at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the researchers created a metal gallium robot containing magnetic particles. And enables a robot to be controlled by embedded magnets. 

"Giving robots the ability to switch between liquid and solid states endows them with more functionality," Chengfeng wrote in a January 25 statement.

The robot can liquefy and reform at a temperature of under 86°F, giving it greater flexibility and allowing it to access small spaces that traditional hard-bodied robots cannot.

Shape-shifting robot solves problems

The Smithsonian Magazine had previously reported that traditional robots can't always access small spaces. Due to their hard body exterior, they are not malleable. And more flexible robots are too fragile to adjust. 

This led scientists to create a robot that shape-shifts between solid and liquid. And it has both strong and flexible qualities. 

The idea for the robot was inspired by sea cucumbers, which can rapidly change their stiffness. Carmel Majidi of Carnegie Mellon University, a senior author of the study, said that the robot's ability to switch between liquid and solid states gives it "more functionality". 

In one test, the robot escaped from a cage by liquefying before reforming back into its original shape.

The team believes that the robot could have useful applications in the biomedical field.

 For example, the robot was able to move a foreign object stuck in a model stomach during one experiment. However, Majidi noted that "much more study will be required to delve into how this could actually be used for drug delivery or for removing foreign objects".

Overall, the shape-shifting robot represents a significant breakthrough in robotics, as it offers the strength of a solid robot and the flexibility of a soft-bodied robot.