Magnets pull tiny medical robots deep into the brain.

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The challenge: Nearly one billion people worldwide live with a neurological disorder — ranging from migraines and dyslexia to epilepsy and Alzheimer’s — and treating these issues by targeting the brain can be extremely difficult. In cases where medication might help, we run into the problem of the “blood-brain barrier” — this natural defense is designed to keep microbes in the blood out of the brain, but it makes it hard for medications to enter the brain, too.

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The idea: Bionaut Labs’ tiny medical robots are designed to solve these issues. Each “bionaut” is about the size and shape of half a grain of rice. Once inserted into the brain via a needle, computer-controlled magnets outside a patient’s skull can be used to steer the tiny metal bot around the brain.

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