Tiny robots with ‘brains’ can walk autonomously inside your body

‘It’s like when Pinocchio gains consciousness,’ says Cornell professor

Scientists have built microscopic robots equipped with electronic “brains” that are capable of walking autonomously.

A team from Cornell University in the US developed the solar-powered bots as part of research into a new generation of tiny devices that can perform roles ranging from performing microsurgery, to cleaning the inside of arteries.

The microrobots measure just 250 micrometres across – smaller than the head of an ant – and can operate without any external controls.