You most likely didn't imagine a robot that can fit in your hands. Yet, scientists have created a 5-in-1 robot that fits right on your fingertip!

Measuring just 4.4 mm (0.17 in) long, the ultra-tiny robot developed at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore can crawl across soft tissues, cut biological material, release drugs, collect tissue samples, and even generate therapeutic heat on demand. Most remarkably, it can switch between these five functions in less than a second, all without wires, onboard electronics, or batteries.

The robot is a recent development in the rapidly growing field of magnetic medical robotics, where researchers use external magnetic fields to guide miniature devices through the body. These systems are widely considered a potential future alternative to some forms of minimally invasive surgery, possibly enabling procedures in hard-to-reach locations without large incisions or bulky surgical instruments.