World's smallest wireless flying robot takes flight

Engineers have created the world's smallest wireless robot capable of controlled flight.

Inspired by bees the robot can hover, change direction and even hit small targets.

It's less than a centimetre from one side to the other and is smaller than a penny.

It weighs around 21 mg which is about the same as a grain of rice!

The robot is shaped like a small propeller and includes two small magnets.

Instead of a battery or electronics which would be heavy, a magnetic field is used to create its flight.

Engineer Liwei Lin at UC Berkley created the robot at the University of California, Berkley and wrote a paper on it which is published in the journal Science Advances.

Liwei Lin, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley said: "This flying robot can be wirelessly controlled to approach and hit a designated target, mimicking the mechanism of pollination as a bee collects nectar and flies away."

The creators of the robot say it could be used for inspecting inside pipes or even artificial pollination.