Robots smaller than a grain of salt? It sounds like science fiction, but researchers have developed autonomous microrobots that can move through liquids, sense their environment and operate independently using only light as a power source.

The microrobots, developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, measure roughly 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers. Yet they can detect temperature changes, follow programmed paths and function independently for months at a time.

Their work was reported this week in two scientific journals, Science Robotics and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

«We’ve made autonomous robots 10,000 times smaller,» senior author Marc Miskin, assistant professor in electrical and systems engineering at Penn Engineering, said in a statement. «That opens up an entirely new scale for programmable robots.»

Powered entirely by light, the robots don’t move using mechanical limbs. Instead, they generate tiny electrical fields that push ions (electrically charged particles) in fluid to create motion, an approach better suited to the unique physics of the microscopic world, where traditional motors don’t work.

Unlike earlier microrobots, these devices combine sensing, computing, decision-making and movement in a single, self-contained system at an extremely small scale.

Previous efforts in microrobotics have often relied on external controls, such as magnetic fields or physical tethers, to guide movement. These new microrobots, however, incorporate their own miniature solar cell-powered processors, allowing them to respond to their environment, communicate through patterned movements visible under a microscope and carry out tasks without outside direction.

Potential applications include monitoring biological processes at the cellular level, supporting medical diagnostics or helping assemble tiny devices. Because each robot can be mass-produced at very low cost, the technology opens new avenues for research and engineering at scales that were previously unreachable.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought today’s was a tough one — I couldn’t solve too many of the Across clues and had to move on to the Down clues to fill in the answers. Also … look at the answer for 3-Down! Are we using Gen Z slang now as if everyone knows it? Anyway, if you want all the answers, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Planning to, informally
Answer: GONNA

6A clue: ___ tolls (GPS setting)
Answer: AVOID

7A clue: Pulsed quickly, as the heart
Answer: RACED

8A clue: Draw an outline of
Answer: TRACE

9A clue: Prefix with loop for theoretical high-speed transport
Answer: HYPER

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Wayne’s sidekick in «Wayne’s World»
Answer: GARTH

2D clue: Egg-producing organ
Answer: OVARY

3D clue: «I’m serious!,» in slang
Answer: NOCAP

4D clue: Sister’s daughter
Answer: NIECE

5D clue: Snake that sounds like it would be good at math?
Answer: ADDER

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Motorola’s just-announced Razr Fold will be getting a premium stylus, which will arrive alongside a revamped location tracker.

The Moto Pen Ultra and Moto Tag 2 were announced Tuesday at CES 2026 during the Lenovo Tech World conference, debuting alongside the new Moto Watch as part of the Moto Things accessory line.

The Moto Pen Ultra comes with a magnetic case, which will then charge the stylus over USB-C. The pen features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a 6-axis motion sensor to assist with writing, drawing and sketching. When using the Pen Ultra with the Razr Fold, the stylus supports palm rejection and a range of tools from a quick access toolbar like Quick Clip for highlighting and sending content into a note for later.

While Motorola has made a series of stylus-equipped phones for its lower-cost Moto G line, the Pen Ultra appears to be specifically for the more flagship level devices Motorola makes like the Razr Fold. 

The Pen Ultra is joined by the Moto Tag 2, which is an updated location tracker that supports Google’s Find Hub network. The Moto Tag 2 features double the battery life of the tracker it replaces, with Motorola stating it should last for two years. The Moto Tag 2 also supports ultra wideband to assist with precise location tracking. 

Neither the Moto Pen Ultra nor the Moto Tag 2 had their pricing and release dates announced as part of the Tuesday event. The accessories join other announcements made by Motorola at Lenovo Tech World, which include the FIFA World Cup edition of the Motorola Razr and the Qira AI assistant.