Editing Microbotics (section)

==History==
Microbots were born thanks to the appearance of the [[microcontroller]] in the last decade of the 20th century, and the appearance of [[microelectromechanical systems]] (MEMS) on silicon, although many microbots do not use silicon for mechanical components other than sensors. {{Anchor|national2016-01-29}}The earliest research and conceptual design of such small robots was conducted in the early 1970s in (then) [[Classified information|classified]] research for U.S. [[intelligence agencies]]. Applications envisioned at that time included [[prisoner of war]] rescue assistance and electronic intercept missions. The underlying miniaturization support technologies were not fully developed at that time, so that progress in [[prototype]] development was not immediately forthcoming from this early set of calculations and concept design.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Solem|first=J. C.|year=1996|title=The application of microrobotics in warfare|journal=Los Alamos National Laboratory Technical Report LAUR-96-3067|doi=10.2172/369704|url=http://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/369704|doi-access=free}}</ref> As of 2008, the smallest microrobots use a [[scratch drive actuator]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.duke.edu/2008/06/microrobots.html|title=Microrobotic Ballet|publisher=[[Duke University]]|date=June 2, 2008|access-date=2014-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403132202/http://news.duke.edu/2008/06/microrobots.html|archive-date=2011-04-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The development of [[wireless]] connections, especially [[Wi-Fi]] (i.e. in [[Home automation|household networks]]) has greatly increased the communication capacity of microbots, and consequently their ability to coordinate with other microbots to carry out more complex tasks. Indeed, much recent research has focused on microbot communication, including a 1,024 robot swarm at [[Harvard University]] that assembles itself into various shapes;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2014/08/thousand-robot-swarm-assembles-itself-into-shapes/|title=Thousand-robot swarm assembles itself into shapes|first=Sabine|last=Hauert|work=[[Ars Technica]]|date=2014-08-14|access-date=2014-08-24}}</ref> and manufacturing microbots at [[SRI International]] for DARPA's "MicroFactory for Macro Products" program that can build lightweight, high-strength structures.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://io9.com/this-swarm-of-insect-inspired-microbots-is-unsettlingly-1566115702|title=This Swarm Of Insect-Inspired Microbots Is Unsettlingly Clever|work=[[io9]]|first=Ria|last=Misra|date=2014-04-22|access-date=2014-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://recode.net/2014/04/16/sri-unveils-tiny-robots-ready-to-build-big-things/|title=SRI Unveils Tiny Robots Ready to Build Big Things|first=James|last=Temple|work=[[re/code]]|date=2014-04-16|access-date=2014-08-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140825084136/http://recode.net/2014/04/16/sri-unveils-tiny-robots-ready-to-build-big-things/|archive-date=2014-08-25}}</ref>

Microbots called [[xenobot]]s have also been built [[biorobot|using biological tissues]] instead of metal and electronics.<ref name="xenobots">{{cite journal |last1=Kriegman |first1=Sam |last2=Blackiston |first2=Douglas |last3=Levin |first3=Michael |last4=Bongard |first4=Josh |title=A scalable pipeline for designing reconfigurable organisms |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=2020 |volume=117 |issue=4 |pages=1853–1859|doi=10.1073/pnas.1910837117|pmid=31932426 |pmc=6994979 |bibcode=2020PNAS..117.1853K |doi-access=free }}</ref> Xenobots avoid some of the technological and environmental complications of traditional microbots as they are self-powered, biodegradable, and biocompatible.