An armoured droplet Syuji Fujii
Liquid marbles look and sound cool – but they could also be used to make miniature reactors and sensors.
Syuji Fujii at the Osaka Institute of Technology in Japan and colleagues have created liquid marbles that can be easily moulded into different shapes, making 3D letters and mini disco balls.
The research was inspired by aphids, who make liquid marbles by coating honeydew with wax particles so that they can easily transport them.
The marbles consist of a droplet of liquid surrounded by small hexagonal discs made of water-repellent polyethylene terephthalate, the plastic commonly known…
