Swimming robots that join together to make larger machines could help underwater rescues

They may at first appear to be rather innocuous floating plastic blocks, but these electronic cubes can join together like a swarm of Lego blocks to create robots capable of tackling almost any task. Much like the cooperative machines in science fiction TV series Transformers and the Power Rangers, the robotic cubes assemble to form larger robots according to their task. Engineers who created the aquatic robots said they could be used to perform underwater search and rescue operations. Engineers have developed robots that can swim through water and join together to form different shapes (pictured). Each module has four micropumps that allow it to move around independently in the water.