Soft robots aren’t just supremely flexible; they can take quite a bruising, too. If you need proof, a team of Harvard and Cornell researchers has developed a rugged soft robot that can survive conditions which would wreck stiffer machines. As you’ll see in the video below, the automaton’s silicone shell has no trouble wading through snow, walking over fire and enduring the crush of a car’s tires.
via Engadget
September 10, 2014