
The 4,500-year-old secrets of the Great Pyramid of Giza's maze of hidden chambers are set to be revealed by an inflatable robot.

Researchers are building a blimp-like probe that enters ancient monuments via a 3.5-centimetre (1.4-inch) 'keyhole' drilled through a wall.

Once inflated inside the chamber, the drone flies like a blimp to explore inaccessible areas with minimal damage to artefacts or structures hidden within.

Last month, a mysterious 30-metre (100ft) void nestled above the pyramid's Grand Gallery deep within the monument was discovered by an international team of researchers.

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The 4,500-year-old secrets of the Great Pyramid of Giza's hidden chambers are set to be revealed by an inflatable robot (artist's impression). Researchers are building a blimp-like probe that enters ancient monuments via a 3.5-centimetre (1.4-inch) 'keyhole' drilled through a wall (left)

HOW IT WORKS The device enters rooms and chambers through a 3.5 centimetre hole drilled through a wall by researchers outside. It is made up of two robots, a tubular machine equipped with a high definition camera and a probe that explores the structure via a small, inflatable blimp. After the first robot has taken a series of reconnaissance images, the drone is pushed through the drilled hole before inflating itself within the chamber. Packed with an array of sensors and cameras, the remote-controlled device collects data and takes photos or video without causing damage to the fragile building. After it has completed its mission, the floating probe returns to its docking station and deflates before it is extracted via the the same tube it entered in. Advertisement

The discovery was made using 'cosmic ray imaging' in which subatomic particles that naturally rain down from the sky are used to map buildings like an X-ray scan.

Now scientists hope to use a new minimally-invasive robot to explore why chambers such as these were built.

The project has been initiated by ScanPyramids, the same group of researchers that made last month's historic Giza find, made up of engineers from Cairo University and the Florida-based HIP Institute.

Its aim is to build a robot capable of exploring the inner depths of old buildings and ancient monuments with minimal structural damage by entering through a 3.5-centimetre (1.5 inch) hole drilled through a wall.

'The main challenge is to insert a complete exploration robot in a hole that is as small as possible.' lead researcher Dr Jean-Baptiste Mouret told Digital Trends.

'It is important to use a hole as small as possible because we want to leave as few traces as we can. This what we call 'minimally invasive robotics'.'

The device is made up of two robots, a tubular machine equipped with a high definition camera and a probe that explores the structure via a small, inflatable blimp.

After the first robot has completed initial imaging to check the room is worth exploring, the drone is pushed through the drilled hole where it inflates itself within the chamber.

Packed with an array of sensors and cameras, the remote-controlled device collects data and takes photos or video without causing damage to the fragile building.

After it has completed its mission, the floating probe returns to its docking station and deflates before it is extracted via the the same tube it entered in.

The robot is being developed by scientists from France's Inria research institution and National Centre for Scientific Research, both based in Paris.

The device is made up of two robots, a tubular machine equipped with a high definition camera (pictured) and a probe that explores the structure via a small, inflatable blimp. After the first robot has taken a series of reconnaissance images, the drone is pushed through the drilled hole where it inflates itself within the chamber

The drone is pushed through a small, drilled hole (a) before inflating itself within the chamber (b). Packed with an array of sensors and cameras, the remote-controlled device collects data and takes photos or video (c). After it has completed its mission, the floating probe returns to its docking station and deflates (d) before it is extracted (e)

THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA'S 'HIDDEN VOID' News that ScanPyramids is developing a new floating probe system comes just a few weeks after the research team discovered a long-hidden narrow void within Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. The void stretches for at least 30 metres (100ft) above the Grand Gallery - an ascending corridor that links the Queen's chamber to the King's in the heart of the pyramid. It is not known why the void exists or if there are any valuable artefacts inside as it is not obviously accessible. But it has similar dimensions to the Gallery, which is 50 metres (164ft) long, eight metres (26ft) high and around a metre (3.2ft) wide. Researchers suggested it could be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was built. The discovery was made after physicists took images of the inside of the pyramid using particles fired to Earth from space. News that ScanPyramids is developing a new floating probe system comes just a few weeks after the research team discovered a long-hidden narrow void (highlighted in red) within Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza Advertisement

The project team said that a floating robot will be quicker and easier to manoeuvre than ground-based probes, as it will not need to navigate stairs, rocks or falling debris.

Being inflatable, the probe is less likely to damage anything it collides with than a rotary or other flying drone, they said.

Currently, Dr Mouret said there is no 'concrete timeline' for deploying the robots inside the Great Pyramid, which will require special permits from Egypt's Ministry of Antiquity.

The Great Pyramid of Giza has been shrouded in mystery for millennia, but in November a long-held secret of its structure was uncovered thanks to particle physics. An apparent narrow void lying undiscovered deep within the ancient Wonder of the World was found by scientists using cosmic-ray based imaging. An overview of the breakthrough is shown here

WHAT WAS THE VOID USED FOR? Because no one has physically seen inside the void, what it was built for remains a mystery. The researchers say the space has remained hidden since it was first constructed 4,500 years ago. It could be one big space, but may also be made up of several chambers or tunnels. The void could be on an incline, which means it could have been used to transport huge blocks into the centre of the pyramid and was then left. Researchers suggest it could also be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was built. More simply, the void may have simply been left there to relieve weight from the Grand Gallery below. Advertisement

But once the device has been developed, it could be used to help map other heritage buildings and archaeological sites across the globe.

News that ScanPyramids is developing a new floating probe system comes just a few weeks after the research team discovered a long-hidden narrow void within the Great Pyramid.

The void stretches for at least 30 metres (100ft) above the Grand Gallery - an ascending corridor that links the Queen's chamber to the King's in the heart of the pyramid.

It is not known why the void exists or if there are any valuable artefacts inside as it is not obviously accessible.

But it has similar dimensions to the Gallery, which is 50 metres (164ft) long, eight metres (26ft) high and around a metre (3.2ft) wide.

Researchers suggested it could be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was built.

The discovery was made after physicists took images of the inside of the pyramid using particles fired to Earth from space.

These cosmic particles penetrate the rock in a similar way to X-rays, only much deeper.

The collaborative effort, between archaeologists, historians and physicists, was hailed as the biggest discovery inside the Giza landmark since the 19th century.

Described as a 'deep void', it is at least about 100 feet long and up to 230 feet above ground, running over the Grand Gallery. Its function is unknown, and scientists are now hoping a flying robot could be sent in to uncover its secrets

Made under the watch of the Pharaoh Khufu and completed in around 2550 BC, Egypt's Great Pyramid, or the Pyramid of Giza, served as the world's tallest man-made construction for thousands of years.

The structure, also known as Khufu's Pyramid, is the sole survivor of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

How it was built has long been a bone of academic contention and there is no universal agreement about its creation.

The internal structure (white dots in image) is located above the Grand Gallery - that links two of the pyramid's chambers - and traces a similar route for at least 30 metres (100ft). It could either lie on a horizontal or inclined (pictured) plane, experts said

MUON DETECTORS Muons are created when cosmic rays react with the upper atmosphere, producing a shower of particles (artist's impression), some of which decay into muons Muon detectors have previously been used to map out the inside of the Fukushima's nuclear reactor in Japan and it is hoped they can be used to explore other archaeological sites. The detectors work by using cosmic particles known as muons that have the power to penetrate deeply into most materials. The subatomic particles require only a few special instruments because they rain down naturally from the atmosphere above. Muons are created when the upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles, some of which decay into muons. The elementary particles, which weigh around 200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through any structure, even large and thick rocks like mountains. Researchers can use these tiny particles to measure the density of structures, just like X-rays pass through our bodies to visualise our skeleton. The detectors work by using cosmic particles known as muons that have the power to penetrate deeply into most materials. Researchers can use these tiny particles to measure the density of structures, just like X-rays pass through our bodies to visualise our skeleton. Pictured is the results of one of the team's muography scans on the pyramid, which helped to reveal the new structure (SP-BV) Advertisement

To find out more about the pyramid, researchers from countries including France and Japan began a project to scan the structure in October 2015.

The scientists made the discovery using cosmic-ray imaging, recording the behaviour of subatomic particles called muons that penetrate the rock.

Detectors were set up inside the pyramid, including in the so-called Queen's Chamber.

This allowed the pyramid's insides to be seen without physically disturbing it, as the results showed empty space differently from rock.

To find out more about the pyramid, researchers from countries including France and Japan began a project to scan the structure in October 2015. Researchers placed detectors in two rooms within the pyramid to collect subatomic particles as they fell from the sky, revealing the structure of the building like an X-ray reveals bone

WHAT THEY FOUND An apparent void lying undiscovered deep inside the Great Pyramid of Giza has been discovered by scientists. The internal structure is located above the Grand Gallery - that links two of the pyramid's chambers. It traces a similar route for at least 30 metres (100ft). While the precise design and purpose of the space is unknown, it was hailed by the team of academics as the biggest discovery inside the Giza landmark since the 19th century. 'This was a study about physics, it was not about Egyptology - we are not claiming anything about interpretation for this void - we are just claiming that there is a void and that's all,' study author Mehdi Tayoubi said. Despite the breakthrough, the newly discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any researcher. Advertisement

The presence of the space, dubbed the ScanPyramids Big Void, was confirmed using three different detection technologies over several months after first being spotted, the paper said.

The results were then analysed three times.

The ScanPyramids mission is made up of researchers from Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, the University of Cario, and the non-profit organisation the Heritage Innovation Preservation (HIP) Institute.

The team employed by-products of the cosmic ray known as muons that are only partially absorbed by stone and take noticeably different trajectories through air

HOW ARE SCIENTISTS PEERING INSIDE THE PYRAMIDS Over the course of their lengthy study, the team have used several techniques to scan Egyptian pyramids. Infrared thermography - Infrared detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to temperature, and displays an image of its temperature distribution to reveal objects that may be hidden. 3D scans with lasers - Lasers bounce narrow pulses of light off the interiors of a structure to map it in detail. Once the scanning is complete, the data can be combined into a highly detailed 3-D model. Cosmic-ray detectors - This detects muons that are created when cosmic rays hit the atmosphere. Muons pass harmlessly through people and buildings. Muons traveling through rock or other dense material will slow and eventually stop. The idea is to catch the muons after theyve passed through an pyramid and measure their energies and trajectories. Researchers can then compile a 3D image that reveals hidden chambers. Advertisement

'ScanPyramids Big Void is not a room or a chamber - we don't know if it is horizontal or inclined if it is composed by one or several successive structures, but it's big,' report author Mehdi Tayoubi, president and co-founder of the HIP Institute, told MailOnline.

'The Grand Gallery is an internal spectacular internal structure (47m long, 8m high) a kind of internal cathedral at the centre of the pyramid.

'This Big Void, with same size characteristics as the Grand Gallery, could be successive chambers, a tunnel. Many hypotheses are possible.'

Despite the breakthrough, the newly discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any researcher.

Detectors were set up inside the pyramid, including in the so-called Queen's Chamber. This allowed the pyramid's insides to be visualised without physically disturbing it, as the results showed empty space differently from rock

Report author Mr Tayoubi said: 'This structure is not accessible, we don't see (that) people tried, if you look at the Grand Gallery, to access the void which is above.

'So this void was hidden, I think, since the construction of the pyramid, it was not accessible.

'We needed this technique - the right technique at the right time - to be able to identify it and discover it.'

He added they were 'very confident' the results were correct.

Because no one has physically seen inside the void, what it was built for remains a mystery.

Muons (artist's impression) are created when the upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles, some of which decay into muons. The elementary particles, which weigh around 200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through any structure, even large and thick rocks like mountains

Researchers claim the space could be on an incline, which means it could have been used to transport huge blocks into the centre of the pyramid and was then left, experts said.

'This finding is very exciting, but I don't think it's likely to be some kind of secret chamber,' Dr Kate Spence, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, told the Telegraph.

'I think it is an inclined ramp that was used to transport huge blocks into the centre of the pyramid and then left. The orientation leads up to the huge granite roof struts at the top of the relieving chamber.

Muon detectors (artist's impression) placed in known rooms within the Great Pyramid picked up the subatomic particles as they passed through layers of stone, meaning the scientists could map the pyramid without breaking through its walls

Researchers from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities' scientific committee suggest it could be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was built.

More simply, the void may have simply been left there to relieve weight from the Grand Gallery below.

The finding opens up the possibility that the void could be linked to other different and undiscovered structures within the pyramid, the study claimed.

Crucially, the authors said, it could provide a method by which scientists can finally start to piece together how the pyramid was built.

The presence of the void, dubbed the ScanPyramids Big Void, was confirmed using three different muon detection technologies over several months after first being spotted, the paper said. Pictured is the pyramid's descending main entrance hallway. The new structure is above this entrance-way

THE SCANPYRAMIDS PROJECT After muon detectors detect voids within a pyramid, the team often use thermal imaging scans (pictured) to confirm their finds The team's finding has been a long time coming after months spent trying to find the elusive 'void'. The researchers began using muon technology, thermal scanning and 3D laser mapping to lay out the pyramid's internal structure in 2015. Scanners placed in the Great Pyramid's grand descending corridor, as well as a tunnel near the north facing entrance dug out by medieval explorers, found a small structure above the structure's entrance in 2016. Thermal imaging of the pyramid confirmed a human-height, corridor-shaped void that ran parallel but above to the descending corridor. Researchers realised this corridor, labelled the ScanPyramid Northfacing Corridor, must lead somewhere, and spent the following months using mapping technology to find where it led. This has now led the team to the new structure, which sits above the pyramid's Grand Gallery. Advertisement

They added that the development 'show how modern particle physics can shed new light on the world's archaeological heritage'.

'This was a study about physics, it was not about Egyptology - we are not claiming anything about interpretation for this void - we are just claiming that there is a void and that's all,' Mr Tayoubi said.

Muon detectors have previously been used to map out the inside of the Fukushima's nuclear reactor in Japan and it is hoped they can be used to explore other archaeological sites.

The detectors work by using cosmic particles known as muons that have the power to penetrate deeply into most materials.

Despite the breakthrough, the newly discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any researcher. Experts used several types of muon detector, which reads subatomic particles as they rain down from the sky, for their study

The finding opens up the possibility that the void could be linked to other different and undiscovered structures within the pyramid, the study claimed. Pictured is a virtual reality layout of what we know of the pyramid's internal structures so far, including the newly found structure, pictured as white dots next to the King's chamber

THE PYRAMID OF GIZA The Great Pyramid, also known as Khufu's Pyramid, is the sole survivor of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World For more than 4,500 years, Egypt's pyramids have kept their secrets hidden deep within the labyrinth of passages and chambers that lie inside their towering stone structures. But the long-running row over whether the Great Pyramid of Giza is hiding a network of previously undiscovered tunnels behind its stone walls has now been answered. The researchers confirmed the find using cosmic particles known as muons to scan the Great Pyramid of Giza. They used the scans to create maps to reveal the internal structure of the 479 feet (146m) high pyramid. Last year thermal scanning identified a major anomaly in the Great Pyramid, the largest and oldest of the pyramids at Giza and one of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Those scans identified three adjacent stones at its base which registered higher temperatures than others. Those scans identified three adjacent stones at its base which registered higher temperatures than others. This led to theories that they may be hiding a secret chamber that had yet to be discovered. A team of experts then set up the ScanPyramid's project to use muons, tiny subatomic particle that are typically produced by cosmic rays smash into atoms on Earth, to peer through the pyramid's huge stone blocks, some of which weight up to 15 tons. Dr Hawass has in the past been sceptical of the usefulness of conducting such scans. He recently clashed publicly with British Egyptologists over their theory that a secret burial chamber may be hidden behind the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb in his pyramid in the Valley of the Kings. Advertisement

Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza has been shrouded in mystery for millennia, but now a long-held secret of its structure might be known thanks to particle physics. The pyramid borders what is now El Giza in Egypt

The subatomic particles require only a few special instruments because they rain down naturally from the atmosphere above.

Some archaeologists have pinned hopes on using the sophisticated technology to locate the burial place of the legendary queen Nefertiti (pictured)

Muons are created when the upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles, some of which decay into muons.

The elementary particles, which weigh around 200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through any structure, even large and thick rocks like mountains.

Researchers can use these tiny particles to measure the density of structures, just like X-rays pass through our bodies to visualise our skeleton.

The team's finding has been a long time coming after months spent trying to find the elusive 'void'.

The researchers began using muon technology, thermal scanning and 3D laser mapping to lay out the pyramid's internal structure in 2015.

Scanners placed in the Great Pyramid's grand descending corridor, as well as a tunnel near the north facing entrance dug out by medieval explorers, found a small structure above the structure's entrance in 2016.

Thermal imaging of the pyramid confirmed a human-height, corridor-shaped void that ran parallel but above to the descending corridor.

Researchers realised this corridor, labelled the ScanPyramid Northfacing Corridor, must lead somewhere, and spent the following months using mapping technology to find where it led.

GREAT PYRAMID'S CURSED TOMB REOPENED Yesterday it was reported that archaeologists in Egypt have reopened a 'cursed tomb' containing the remains of the people who built the Great Pyramid of Giza to visitors. It is the first time it has been opened to the public since its discovery almost 30 years ago. The area dates back 4,500 years and is located in the 'tribal mountain' area, near the Pyramid of Giza. The Press Office of the Ministry of Antiquities shared the revelation on Instagram with a picture of the area, saying 'Opening the workers cemetery site at Giza Plateau to visit'. Yesterday it was reported that archaeologists in Egypt have reopened a 'cursed tomb' (pictured) containing the remains of the people who built the Great Pyramid of Giza to visitors The newly opened area contains a cemetery of workers along with the graves of the supervisor of the royal palace, the supervisor of the construction workers and a man of significance who was buried with the workers, accordingto Newsweek. The site has been closed off since 1990. Archaeologists from the Ministry of Antiquities believe the man who supervised the workers filled the cemetery with curses to protect the dead from thieves. Advertisement

This has now led the team to find the new structure, which sits above the pyramid's Grand Gallery.

Some archaeologists have pinned hopes on using the sophisticated technology to locate the burial place of the legendary queen Nefertiti.

The wife of King Akhenaten, who initiated a monotheistic cult in ancient Egypt, queen Nefertiti remains an enigma, best known for a bust depicting her that is now on exhibition in Berlin's Neues Museum.

A British Egyptologist, Nicholas Reeves, believed her remains were hidden in a secret chamber in the tomb of Tutankhamun, in the southern Valley of the Kings.

In 2015, archaeologists scanned the tomb with radar hoping to find clues.

Both Reeves's theory and the inconclusive results have been dismissed by other Egyptologists.

One of them, former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass, said that an adept of the sun god Aton would never have been allowed to be buried in the Valley of the Kings.