Light-powered micromotors can move through air

A team of Concordia researchers has developed the first micromotors capable of moving through the air using only light as their power source. These tiny, pollen-shaped particles measure about 12 microns wide—roughly one-tenth the thickness of a human hair. Made of zinc oxide and coated with gold, they use heat from near-infrared light to lift and propel themselves without any fuel or batteries.