YT: It may look like a softy, but this robot is a rugged survivor that can survive fire, ice and getting squashed by a car
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Burn it, freeze it, run it over – this robot just keeps squirming. Created by Michael Tolley of Harvard University and his team, the robot is completely squishy, with no rigid skeleton. At 65 centimetres long, it is bigger than previous designs, all of which have required a tether to walk on land.
Its beefed up size allows it to support a battery pack that keeps it going for up to 2 hours and an electrically powered air compressor system that drives its pneumatic motion. Soft robots are of interest for search and rescue missions, says Tolley, or in any situation where a flexible body can better navigate through tight spaces. Its ability to handle extreme conditions should also come in handy.(
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26164)
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