Hong Kong Dentist to Unlock Pyramid Mystery with Tiny Robot

An eccentric Hong Kong dentist will use his skills and tools, many of which he has invented, to explore ancient Egyptian wall cavities and fill in the gaps around the mysteries of the pharaohs.

Ng Tze-chuen, a 59-year-old dentist, is teaming up with Egypt's former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass in a bid to delve deep into the last surviving wonder of the ancient world - the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Tze-chuen has created a tiny robot, the size of an insect, with dental forcep-inspired grips on the top.

This little device will travel between the cracks on two mysterious doors blocking the entrance to two narrow shafts believed to lead to Pharaoh Cheops's tomb.

Archaeologists have been scratching their heads about the doors and shafts since their discovery in 1872.

"The Chinese have more experience with chopsticks. And a dentist has more experience in gripping with forceps," Tze-chuen told Reuters.

"Why Egypt is so interesting, it's because of the hieroglyphics. It's like a detective story. It's all waiting for me to use my grippers."

He has designed 70 different dental forceps of his own, to work around the nooks and crannies of a set of nashers.

"Egypt is one of the testing grounds for my toys," he said.

Despite the notorious "Curse of the Pharaohs" that, as legend has it, will see anybody who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian meet their untimely doom, Tze-chuen is not put off.

"No matter, curse or no curse, I just want to take a peek. That's it," he said.

"And then I will run."

This is just the first of ten missions he has in the pipeline before he hits his 65<sup>th birthday.

As well as the Great Pyramid of Giza, he wants to use a German rover to sample soil on the surface of the moon.

He is also not done with Egypt - discovering the beautiful Egyptian queen Cleopatra's tomb is also on his wish list.