Skip to main content

Watch this tiny robot assemble itself, carry things around, and dissolve into nothing

Robots seem to get crazier and crazier with each passing week, but even among all the self-stabilizing robo-dogs and humanoid firefighters, this tiny little origami robot is definitely one of the most impressive ones we’ve seen lately.

The bot starts life as a thin, postage stamp-sized wafer made of PVC, sandwiched between laser-cut structural layers of either polystyrene or paper. When placed on a heated surface, the PVC layer will contract, which, thanks to a series of strategically placed cuts, causes the bot to fold up into an origami shape with legs and a body.

Recommended Videos

Once it’s taken this form, the tiny little robot (which only weighs a third of a gram), is capable of walking around, carrying a load twice its weight, swimming, and even dissolving itself when it’s all said and done.

To make this possible, the robot (if you can even call it that?) carries a small neodymium magnet on its back. When this magnet is exposed to an external magnetic field, it begins to oscillate, thereby causing the robot itself to vibrate along with it. As this happens, the robot’s back and front legs contact the ground in an alternating fashion, which, thanks to it’s asymmetrical design and intentionally off-center balance point, causes the bot to slowly wiggle its way forward.

The amazing thing that, by doing little more than changing the frequency of the external magnetic field, it’s possible to steer the bot around and have it perform various tasks. In the video above, the researchers show of its ability to walk or swim around in a certain pattern, dig through piles, and even push other objects to a different location.

When the bot has completed its mission (whatever it may be), it can also autonomously destroy itself to hide the evidence. The bot will slowly dissolve if dunked into a pool of acetone, leaving nothing behind but the neodymium magnet is once bore.

It doesn’t have a lot of practical applications at this point, but moving forward, the researchers who created the bot hope to shrink it down and integrate sensors into its hull. Eventually, the goal is to design super small, completely autonomous robots like this that can work inside of the human body.

Drew Prindle
Former Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more