'Super soft plastic' robot

Scientists at Harvard University have created a 'super flexible' robot that crawls and crawls through narrow gaps.

Picture 1 of 'Super soft plastic' robot
'Super soft plastic' robot - (Photo: BBC)

The scientists said they took the idea from sea stars, squid and other invertebrates to make this robot.

The four-legged robot, shaped like a 10cm long moth, is made of silicone rubber, which rolls into a ball and pushes itself forward.

Picture 2 of 'Super soft plastic' robot
"Super flexible" robot crawls through obstacles - (Photo: AP)

The researchers tested the robot's flexibility by letting it crawl under a glass 15 times. The distance between the glass and the ground is less than 2cm.

In most 'obstacles' , the robot takes less than a minute.

In recent years, scientists have stepped up research into robots that can travel through narrow spaces to help find survivors of natural disasters such as earthquakes, School in difficult terrain conditions.