Scientists are now developing a liquid metal with a self-propelled motor similar to the T-1000, which is the shape shifting robot featured in the movie Terminator 2.

This marks the first liquid metal shape shifiting robot . Researchers from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China are developing this breakthrough innovation in more ways than one by also giving it the ability to power itself apart from its shape shifting properties.

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According to Jing Liu from the Tsinghua University, this soft machine appears rather intelligent and can deform itself depending on the space it occupies, just like the Terminator does in the Hollywood sci-fi film. This unusual behavior in robots perfectly resembles how living organisms react or function in their own habitat.

The motor is made from galinstan, which is an alloy derived from gallium and possesses a melting point of 85.57 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists believe that since galinstan is made from 68.5 percent gallium, 10 percent tin and 21.5 percent indium, the melting point of the alloy turns galinstan into liquid form at room temperature.

Scientists were also amazed when they discovered that when a single drop of the metal alloy is mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution along with a connection with the aluminum flake that the alloy uses as fuel, the liquid metal can generate movement on its own for a period of 30 minutes.

The team claims this special alloy can be immediately applied to many fields such as moving liquid with a cooling device without the use of an external power source. Liu also adds this alloy can also be used to observe the environment and deliver material via pipelines or even substances through blood vessels.

When electricity is applied to the alloy, the gallium can transform into complex shapes and sizes until it turns back into its normal shape when the electric current stops. Using different techniques, Liu says this can be used to change the velocity of the galinstan drops or coordinate independent drops all together.

The study was published in the journal Advanced Materials.  

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