Watch a tiny bug do the world’s fastest backflip
A new study features the first in-depth look at the jumping skills of globular springtails. See the backflipping bug in action for yourself.
Jelly sea creature ‘jet propulsion’ could give robots a boost
Gelatinous sea animals that swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.
Jelly sea creature ‘jet propulsion’ could give robots a boost
Gelatinous sea animals that swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.
Inner ear fossil sheds light on evolution to walking on two feet
The inner ear of Lufengpithecus, a 6-million-year-old fossil ape, reveals clues about how and when humans started walking on two feet.
Twisted ring robot spins like a record to get around
A new soft robot design can roll forward, spin like a record, and follow a path that orbits around a central point all on its own.
450M-year-old organism comes back to life in robot form
A “Softbotics” replica of pleurocystitids, a marine organism that existed 450 million years ago, could offer new insight into the evolution of locomotion.
‘Brainless’ robot can navigate twisty mazes
A “brainless” soft robot can navigate through twisty mazes and around obstacles all on its own, without needing guidance from a computer.
Krill inspire robots for ocean exploration
A new robot inspired by the way tiny krill swim could help navigate oceans on Earth as well as on distant moons.
Soft robot crawls like a caterpillar
Researchers have created a caterpilllar-like robot that can crawl forwards or backwards, and dip under obstacles in its way.
Soft robot easily goes from land to water
New soft robots can shift from walking to swimming. They could one day be used in rescue situations or to interact with sea animals or coral.