Those creepy crawlies that hang on barely visible webs in the corner? Scientists are turning them into zombie robots!

It sounds like a sci-fi movie -- but it is real-life science.

This is video of a necro-botic project being undertaken at Rice University.

The mechanical engineers say they are using a syringe filled with air to re-animate the legs of a dead wolf-spider.

They then use those legs to pick up other items -- some of them larger and heavier than the spider.

The engineers say they are able to do this because a spider's legs work like hydraulics. They use pressure to extend and contract their limbs.

While the scientists tout this as a cool stunt, they also say it could be useful for projects like assembling microelectronics or capturing smaller insects in nature.