Yep; we know and we can even design them to make their own.
You could now 3D print your own tiny walking “bio-bots” powered by living muscle cells and controlled with electrical and light pulses, thanks to a new gennext robot ‘recipe’ developed by scientists.
This can result in exciting possibilities where these “systems could one day demonstrate complex behaviours including self-assembly, self-organisation, self-healing, and adaptation of composition and functionality to best suit their environment,” researchers said.
“The protocol teaches every step of building a bio-bot, from 3D printing the skeleton to tissue engineering the skeletal muscle actuator, including manufacturers and part numbers for every single thing we use in the lab,” said Ritu Raman, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US.