A 3 millimetre-long swimming robot constructed by Chinese scientists could eventually be used for drug delivery or to clear arteries in humans.

The craft is propelled by an external magnetic field which controls its fins. The fins are made from an alloy that contracts in response to application of the field.

The next stage is to build a robot with fins that respond to different magnetic field resonances. This would enable an operator to control the fin separately and steer the robot around.

The project is at an early stage but in the future remote controlled machines could be used to deliver drugs to a particular part of the body.

From New Scientist, via bTang reBlog.