Mini Robot Explores, Gives You Medicine from Within

This will still give some people the creeps.

It’s a mini robot that can be controlled remotely even after it’s inside your body. That’s thanks to the genius of researchers from the Shiga University of Medical Science and Ritsumeikan University of Japan. These dedicated scientists have put together a tiny machine that, once inserted in your body via an incision, can do a handful of things not previously possible.

The robot, which is just 0.8 inches in length with a diameter of 0.4 inches, can take pictures of your body’s interior, take tissue samples, and even administer medicine. The scientists control these functions using an external magnetic field.

The little explorer doesn’t exactly have a high-wattage headlamp, so the scientists have to rely on maneuverability based on an MRI of your intended area of exploration that they would have taken before plunking the robot in there in the first place. Data is transferred wirelessly for further study.