Soft robots can now run like cheetahs and swim like marlins

Robots today generally come in one of two varieties: rigid and soft. When most people imagine a robot, they think of the rigid variety, like Boston Dynamics' Spot or those found on auto assembly lines. Soft robots, on the other hand, tend to mimic biological organisms enabling them to more easily adapt to their surrounding environment, work more safely in the presence of humans and now, with a novel robotic spine design developed by North Carolina State University, move faster than ever before. Cheetahs can average 58 mph while sprinting (though in 2012, an 11 year old cat at the Cincinnati Zoo set a record of 61mph while completing a 100 meter sprint in 5.95 seconds -- three seconds faster than Usain Bolt). This speed is due to their uniquely evolved, super flexible spines which allow them to dramatically arch their backs as they run, enabling the fast felines to take longer and faster strides than their preferred antelope prey.