'A significant threat': These tiny 'trained' robots can catch invisible plastic dust in your drinking water
Electrostatic nanorobots chase and capture nanoplastics
by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/efosa-udinmwen · TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen published 28 April 2026
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- Tiny robots actively chase nanoplastics instead of waiting for contact
- Electrostatic attraction lets nanobots grab plastic-like charged surfaces
- Magnetic control allows precise movement without fuel or light
There is a lot of plastic waste in the world, which is endangering the environment, and tiny particles of these plastics are now contaminating drinking water.
These particles, called nanoplastics, are so small that they can pass through conventional water filters, enter human organs, and cause diseases such as cancer.
Researchers at the Brno University of Technology have developed a small magnetic robot that can search for and eliminate these minute particles from water.
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How the tiny robots catch plastic particles
The research, published in Environmental Science: Nano, found these nanorobots use electrostatic attraction to remove nanoplastics in the same way a balloon clings to your hair.
"What stands out is how these robots are designed to attract plastics using electrostatics," said Sylvain Martel, a computer engineer who was not involved in the work.
The robots come with hexagonal rods formed from iron-based metal-organic frameworks, and each rod is roughly the width of a human hair.
Under a scanning electron microscope, each rod resembles a cratered meteorite, with pores that become sites for nanoplastics to latch onto.
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