We’re big fans of animal-inspired robots here, so this plant-inspired one looked intriguing. Turns out it’s also pretty bizarre to see it spiral up into the air. The “growing” robot is powered by pneumatic pressure, and could also display the same type of behavior with hydraulic fluid. Developed at Stanford University, it’s essentially a plastic tube containing a sensor that can be pointed at a destination using a camera. Because of its flexible plastic body, this could possibly be used to lift objects off the ground, rescue trapped people, deliver water or sensors, or install wiring. The team has published one paper outlining the proof of concept, and next plan to work on a waterproof version.
