<ul><li>Researchers have designed tiny ethanol-powered robots inspired by the 'Cheerios effect'.</li><li>The robots use the propulsive flow created by gradients in surface tension on liquid surfaces.</li><li>Ethanol is used instead of soap to extend the effect, as ethanol evaporates rather than saturating the water.</li><li>By exploiting the 'Cheerios effect', the robots can self-assemble into clusters for various industrial or environmental tasks.</li></ul>

Cheerios effect inspires novel robot design

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