Spanish researchers have found a way to mimic the shifting movement of a hamster inside a ball to get their Rosphere robot moving.
The electronics controlling the robot replace the hamster and act as a swinging weight to propel it forward.
Field trials have shown the Rosphere could help monitor soil conditions on arable land.
The Rosphere was developed by a four-strong team at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) who tried to find a method of locomotion that would not be thwarted by uneven or difficult terrain. Wheeled and legged robots can struggle on shifting ground or places strewn with lots of large and small objects.
via BBC News
