Engineers have created a tiny robot that can crawl and grab objects. This is reported by the University of Waterloo. A scientific article describing the invention was published in Cell Reports Physical Science. It is hoped that such robots will be useful in surgery for operations inside human body, as well as for the study of hard-to-reach places. Scientists say that it is the first soft robot of its kind, which does not require connection to an external power source, which provides mobility and versatility. The device, named GeiwBot, is four centimeters long, three millimeters wide and one millimeter thick. The robot resembles a worm in size and proportions, but it moves more like a caterpillar. The robot is made of liquid-crystalline elastomers which react to light. It is the energy of light that makes the "worm" bend and sets it in motion. At the ends of the "body" there are gripping pads, which are actuated by a powerful magnet. Thus, the robot is able to move and crawl along walls and ceilings without batteries.