The ultra-light robotic insect, called DEAnsect, weigh less than a gram and are propelled into the air with hair-thin artificial muscles (Photo: AFP/Representational)

If flies and mosquitoes weren't enough, researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a new type of robotic insects, which remain functional even if you squash them with a fly swatter.

The ultra-light robotic insect, called DEAnsect, weigh less than a gram and are propelled into the air with hair-thin artificial muscles, Mashable reports.

The vibrations of the Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) cause the insect to move at the rate of 3 cm per second. The researchers plan on inserting more sensors to make the annoying creepies communicate with their own robotic swarm.