The Soft Robot Revolution JSTOR Daily

Science fiction has accustomed us to metallic, humanoid robots, but there are better models out there. Scientists have created a completely wireless, soft robotic octopus, dubbed the "Octobot." The robot is made of supple silicon and is powered by a chemical reaction. So far Octobot can only wave its legs up and down somewhat feebly, but it represents a major leap forward in the field of soft robotics. For some time, scientists observing the natural world have noticed that there are more promising robot models than humans.