Tiny, Soft Robotic Caterpillar Creeps, Climbs, And Crawls

It may not look like much, but this wiggly little micro-robot is surprisingly powerful and complex. Inspired by the rippling locomotion of caterpillars, physics researchers at the University of Warsaw created the robot that at first glance appears to be nothing more than a thin transparent strip. But its body is made from light sensitive elastomer aligned in a molecular pattern, the secret to its creepy-crawly movement. Exposure to light causes its body to contract in a wave-like ripple, propelling its body forward. By controlling the lighting conditions, the researchers were able to get the robot to perform different actions.