Cornell University has now built soft-bodied robotic devices that are filled with and activated by popcorn, according to New Atlas.

The Cornell team consists of a doctoral student Steven Ceron and Prof. Kirstin H. Petersen, who investigated methods of powering “inexpensive robotic devices that grip, expand or change rigidity.”

The kernels expand quite forcibly by more than 10 times when they pop. This material was a good choice since it is cheap and readily-available.

The Amish Country Extra Small kernels were used in three separate devices.

One was a gripper, composed of three silicone fingers that were stuffed with kernels. Heat was applied to the kernels by a nichrome wire. When the kernels popped, they put pressure against the fingers’ outer walls and caused the fingers to curl inwards around the object.

A wire was used to pop 36 kernels that were lined up inside a silicone “beam,” causing it to become stiff and turn into a more rigid-like structure. The third device was an origami-like bellow made from instant popcorn bags. When the kernels were popped the bag expanded enough that it could lift a 9-lb weight placed on top.

They hope this technology can be used to propel jumping robots. The low cost and simplicity could be valuable in future applications.

“The goal of our lab is to try to make very minimalistic robots which, when deployed in high numbers, can still accomplish great things,” says Petersen. “Simple robots are cheap and less prone to failures and wear, so we can have many operating autonomously over a long time. So we are always looking for new and innovative ideas that will permit us to have more functionalities for less, and popcorn is one of those.”