49. Elio Challita: Micro Robots Inspired by Insects

What if we could shrink the intelligence of ants and bees into robots smaller than a coin? Elio Challita, a Schmidt Science Fellow at Harvard's Microrobotics Laboratory, is making this sci-fi dream reality. From studying termites that spit like 3D printers to cicadas that spray with chainsaw-level power, Elio explains how swarms of biodegradable micro robots could detect environmental disasters in minutes instead of weeks. We dive into surface tension physics, biological materials as robot parts, and why insects might be the world's greatest engineers. Could armies of tiny guardians be monitoring every forest, ocean, and city by 2075? This conversation will change how you see the bugs in your backyard forever.____Full episodes: https://www.mizter-rad.com/episodesEpisode link + article: https://www.mizter-rad.com/episodes/49-elio-challita-micro-robots-inspired-by-insectsFollow Elio on X: https://x.com/eliochallitaElio's website: https://www.eliochallita.com/Mizter Rad on X: https://x.com/mizter_radMizter Rad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariorueda/