Researchers are exploring the idea of using tiny robots in our body already. How do you power such things? Researchers have come up with edible batteries that power pneumatically driven robots. Here is how these work:
The edible pneumatic battery exploits the acid-base neutralization reaction of food-grade reactants: under gravity, citric acid mixes with sodium bicarbonate powder to produce a steady release of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The generated gas pressure causes deformation of a connected edible pneumatic actuator.
When the gas pressure passes a threshold, a valve automatically releases pressurized gas. The below video shows what this project is all about.
[HT:okeon Kwak, Shuhang Zhang, Alexander Keller, Qiukai Qi, Jonathan Rossiter, Dario Floreano]
