Miniature robotic crabs smaller than fleas could be used to perform surgeries

A group of engineers at Northwestern University have developed the smallest-ever romote-controlled robot - a miniature robotic crab.

The tiny machine measures just half a millimetre wide, smaller than a flea.

It can bend, twist, walk, and jump, and scientists are hoping that it could be used to perform practical tasks in the smallest of spaces, such as assisting with surgery.

Bioelectronics pioneer Professor John Rogers said that the robot could be used to clear clogged arteries, to stop internal bleeding or to eliminate cancerous tumours.

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