Pea-sized liquid-metal pump helps soft robots become lighter, portable, and more agile

University of Bristol researchers unveiled a 0.2-gram liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic pump for soft robots and wearables.

The pea-sized LIMA pump moves liquid-metal droplets using a magnetic field and electric current, and runs at low voltage.

They demonstrated applications including robotic wings, a haptic fingertip pouch, and a color-changing bracelet.

The compact design could replace bulky pneumatic hardware, making flexible devices lighter, more portable, and more agile.