Technology: Scientists create the smallest ever flying microchip!

Scientists have built tiny flying microchips that are as small as a grain of sand!

The microchips - which have been nicknamed 'microfliers' - are so small and light that they can gently float through the air and travel with the wind.

They are designed to collect data on the environment, study populations and even help track the spread of diseases.

The microfliers were created by scientists at the Northwestern University in the US, who describe them as "the smallest ever human-made flying structures".

The microchips have no engine to help them fly. Instead they have 3 curved blades, which allows them to slowly float through the air and travel in the wind.

It's similar to how 'helicopter seeds' fall in the air from maple trees, and spin like a helicopter towards the ground.

Scientist John A. Rogers, one of the team involved in the research, said: "Our goal was to add winged flight to small-scale electronic systems, with the idea that these capabilities would allow us to distribute highly functional, miniaturized electronic devices to sense the environment for contamination monitoring, population surveillance or disease tracking,"

"We were able to do that using ideas inspired by the biological world. Over the course of billions of years, nature has designed seeds with very sophisticated aerodynamics."

Scientists are always taking inspiration from nature, and it is no different in this case - the team was inspired by studying wind-dispersed seeds.

The microfliers have miniature sensors, antennas, and data storage to help scientists collect data as they fall to the ground.

The team's next task is to create versions of the microfliers that can dissolve in water, solving the issue of cleaning them up!

What do you think of the microfliers? Let us know in the comments!