# Belousov-Zhabotinsky liquid marbles in robot control

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how Belousov-Zhabotinsky liquid marbles can be used to control a robot's movement through electrical potential responses to stimuli, opening new avenues for chemical reaction-based robotics.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel method of robot control using liquid marbles with oscillatory chemical reactions and electrical sensing, integrating chemistry with robotics.

## Key findings

- Liquid marbles respond to laser stimulation with electrical potential changes.
- Electrical signals from the marbles can effectively control robot trajectories.
- The approach enables chemical reaction-based control in robotics.

## Abstract

We show how to control the movement of a wheeled robot using on-board liquid marbles made of Belousov-Zhabotinsky solution droplets coated with polyethylene powder. Two stainless steel, iridium coated electrodes were inserted in a marble and the electrical potential recorded was used to control the robot's motor. We stimulated the marble with a laser beam. It responded to the stimulation by pronounced changes in the electrical potential output. The electrical output was detected by robot. The robot was changing its trajectory in response to the stimulation. The results open new horizons for applications for oscillatory chemical reactions in robotics.