Manchester Researchers Develop Snail-Inspired Soft Robots

Researchers at the University of Manchester are developing miniature, peptide-based soft robots to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to bowel tumors, backed by nearly £1 million from UK Research and Innovation. The snail-inspired devices anchor in malignant tissue, use magnetic-field responsiveness and slime-like locomotion, and rely on machine-learning-driven digital twins to refine movement. If successful, the approach could increase local drug concentration and reduce systemic toxicity.