Russian scientists and engineers from the Kaliningrad-based Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University has showed off a new cockroach-sized robot that touts to save lives... and spy on people.

The members of the team that built this micro-robot revealed that their project has actually caught the interest of the Russian military. In fact, they said they will present a sample of the cockroach-like robot which comes with camouflage colors.

The tiny 'bot measures four inches and boasts a speed of up to 12 inches per second. It houses contact and non-contact probes as well as light sensors, allowing it to move without bumping into obstacles.

Presently, the prototype can work autonomously for 20 minutes. However, the team is planning to stretch the time. It will also be equipped with a navigation system, allowing users to program the 'bot's route.

It is interesting to note that the robot can carry a weight of 10 grams, enough to load up a mini portable camera.

The robot, according to its makers, can help during emergency services, particularly in assisting in rescue missions and penetrating hard-to-reach areas.

The development of the 'bot started from observing the movements of real cockroaches to ensure its movement are as organic as possible. Specifically, the experts used a specimen of the Blaberus Craniifer as model for the development of the robot.

The experts revealed they have created the mini robot for a private company. They did not go into detail, though, which company they have been working with.

The company wanted the robot to look like a real cockroach, act like one, and be the right size, the team said.

“Probably that was the most difficult part - to find balance between those three requirements,” said Aleksey Belousov, the head engineer of the project.

“We had to develop many things from scratch," said Danil Borchevkin, the leading engineer of the university. "For example there’s a company in Austria that produces gearing for legs, but a unit for one robot would have cost us near US$9,000 while our whole budget is US$22,500."

A similar project was developed by experts at North Carolina State University. They created cockroaches equipped with microphones and electronic backpacks, allowing the user to control the movement of the insects and to help locate humans during emergencies.