Nanorobot shows promise as humidity sensor thanks

Nanorobot shows promise as humidity sensor thanks to use of bacterial spore

March 30, 2015 | By Varun Saxena


Researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago have developed a nanoparticle-based robot that can detect humidity thanks to the use of bacterial spores and a form of carbon known as graphene.

Bacteria form spores that go into a dormant state and await the right external conditions so that they can become active once again. Because it is only an atom thick, graphene is being widely studied and deployed in all sorts of advanced sensors--it is a truly two-dimensional surface. In addition, it has excellent flexibility and conductivity.

The team placed two "quantum dots" of graphene on the bacterial spore and attached a tiny wire to it so that it would conduct electricity, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As the spore grew or shrunk in response to very small changes in humidity levels, the distance between the dots also changed. That variation altered the flow of current in a way that can be used to determine the level of moisture or humidity.
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