Researchers at MIT, Harvard University and Seoul National University have developed a robotic worm that acts very much like a real-life worm.

According to a MIT release, the robot, named “Meshworm,” crawls by contracting segments of its body.

The worm was constructed using a soft mesh tube wrapped in nickel-titanium wire. When a small current is applied to the wire segments, the mechanical worm contracts and squeezes the mesh tube, which then propels the wormy robot forward.

Though the Meshworm is made of soft materials, when stepped on or even hit with a hard object, like a hammer, it still crawls forward.

Being small and hard to detect, the Meshworm could be used by spy agencies or the military.  But researchers say the robotic worm could help in natural disasters, by crawling through tight spaces that humans can't access. The researchers also add that the worm could be used in the medical field where doctors could use the worm to better analyze the inside of a patient.

See the worm in action below.