India, Dec. 17 -- The world's smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots have made their debut at the University of Pennsylvania, powered by a "brain" developed at the University of Michigan.

These microscopic swimming machines can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months, and cost just a penny each, reads the University of Michigan website.

Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures roughly 0.2 by 0.3 by 0.05 millimeters-comparable in size to many microorganisms. They can be programmed to move in complex patterns, detect local temperatures, and adjust their paths in response to environmental cues.

"We've made autonomous robots 10,000 times smaller," said Marc Miskin, assistant professor o...