The demonstration of ethanol-powered 'cocktail boats' significantly enhances the longevity of propulsion on water surfaces, paving the way for tiny robots to perform environmental tasks.
The 'Cheerios effect', observed in many natural phenomena, utilises surface tension and buoyancy to facilitate the self-assembly of clusters in tiny ethanol-powered robots.
This phenomenon has parallels in nature, exemplified by pollen grains or fire ants, which showcase similar clustering due to surface tension dynamics.
Using ethanol helps avoid the saturation issue faced by traditional soap-based methods, allowing for prolonged propulsion and potential applications in robotics and environmental monitoring.
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