Magnetic actuation has the advantages of requiring no on-board power source, untethered control and easy “programmability”. Our aim to harness the advantages of magnetism and develop small-scale  bio-inspired soft robots for potential applications in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). In this project, the focus is on design and development of millimeter-scale soft robots that can be controlled remotely using magnetic fields. Various methods for design and fabrication of function soft devices are investigated. Bioinspiration plays a key role in this project. Methods for modeling of robot behavior and tracking and control of existing specimens are also studied. Example applications include diagnostic imaging, biopsy, drug delivery.