Scientists build robot snake that could help in disaster response

A robot snake has been developed by scientists in the race to advance the abilities of search and rescue machines. It is hoped that the robots may some day help to explore inaccessible terrain, such as rubble after an earthquake. Scientists observed how snakes moved and used this information to make a robot that can climb large steps in a nimble and stable fashion. Chen Li, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in the US and a senior author of the research, said: "We look to these creepy creatures for movement inspiration because they're already so adept at stably scaling obstacles in their day-to-day lives. Hopefully our robot can learn how to bob and weave across surfaces just like snakes."