August 10, 2012 | Corrinne

Earthworms: harmless creatures, if a bit dull. Well, that’s what I always thought.

But US government spooks think differently: they’ve used the earthworm as inspiration for a new spy robot. The Meshworm wriggles silently through small gaps, survives falls and doesn’t even care if you stamp on it – it just bounces back into shape. It’s a real ninja worm.

Meshworm is made using ‘artificial muscle’ – nickel and titanium wire, wrapped around a tube of plastic mesh, that stretches and contracts under heat. It does look quite wormy. Imagine: ‘The name’s Worm. Meshworm.’