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Associate Professor Wyatt Shields received the Army Research Office's Young Investigator award for research that could advance the next generation of programmable microscopic robots.

Shields' team is developing tiny magnetic building blocks that can self-assemble into microrobots with programmed movements. By changing the sequence of these microscopic particles, researchers can control how the robots function—opening the door to new approaches for smart materials, sensors and other responsive technologies.

The project combines chemical engineering, materials science and computational modeling to create microscale robotic systems that can be manufactured at scale for a wide range of future applications.