We are now officially in a timeline where the possibility of The Terminator becoming a reality is the darkest scenario.

Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University in the US and the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a new material that mimics the abilities of the T-1000 from the Terminator movie.

That is concerning.

We did not say it was impossible, but rather it is not advisable.

However, it has been discovered that this new material can potentially save lives, so it is not entirely negative.

In a video released by the researchers, a small robot resembling the T-1000 Terminator cyborg can be seen escaping a tiny jail cell.

The robot demonstrates its ability to melt down into a liquid state and move through bars.

After successfully escaping, the robot returns to its solid form.

Fans of the Terminator franchise will recall the scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day in which the T-1000, composed of solid metal, transforms into a liquid state to pass through a set of bars while trying to kill Sarah Connor.

Researchers have reassured the public that their mini robot was never programmed to carry out the murder of John Connor, which is a relief.

The senior author of the study, Professor Carmel Majidi, explained the mechanism behind the shape-shifting robot, stating that magnetic particles are used in two ways to achieve the liquidation effect.

"One is that they make the material responsive to an alternating magnetic field, so you can, through induction, heat up the material and cause the phase change," she said.

"But the magnetic particles also give the robots mobility and the ability to move in response to the magnetic field.

She added: "Future work should further explore how these robots could be used within a biomedical context.

"What we're showing are just one-off demonstrations, proofs of concept, but much more study will be required to delve into how this could actually be used for drug delivery or for removing foreign objects."

Doctor Chengfeng Pan discussed the potential medical applications for the robot.

"Giving robots the ability to switch between liquid and solid states endows them with more functionality," he said.

"Now, we're pushing this material system in more practical ways to solve some very specific medical and engineering problems."

According to Pan, the team leader of the research project, the robots were also used to remove a foreign object from a simulated stomach, and to deliver drugs as needed into the same simulated stomach.

The results are impressive and may have significant medical potential.

Welcome to the future, where you are a part of the population.