It is a high-speed movement: within fractions of a second the mouthparts of the dragonfly larvae spring forwards to seize its prey. For decades, researchers had assumed that this action must have been driven primarily by hydraulic pressure. Now, for the first time, scientists at Kiel University (CAU) have completely decrypted the biomechanical functional principle of what is known as the labial mask of dragonfly larvae. A vital contribution to this discovery was made by the team led by Dr. Sebastian Büsse of the Zoological Institute in its development of a bio-inspired robot with the operating principle of the complex mouthparts adapted to test its own hypothesis--the technology used here could lead to a significant enhancement of agile robot systems. The results of the ambitious research project were published on Wednesday 20 January in the renowned specialist journal Science Robotics.

Scientists are looking to nature to inspire the next generation of robots. Here's what they've come up with. Could the Biggest Ocean Recording Ever Made Redefine Marine Science? The Swim - https://youtu.be/-GWVmk-U-kk Read More: Soft Robotics: Challenges and Perspectives https://www.sciencedirect.com/science... "There has been an increasing interest in the use of unconventional materials and morphologies in robotic systems because the underlying mechanical properties (such as body shapes, elasticity, viscosity, softness, density and stickiness) are crucial research topics for our in-depth understanding of embodied intelligence." Soft robotic fish swims alongside real ones in coral reefs http://news.mit.edu/2018/soft-robotic... "During test dives in the Rainbow Reef in Fiji, SoFi swam at depths of more than 50 feet for up to 40 minutes at once, nimbly handling currents and taking high-resolution photos and videos using (what else?) a fisheye lens." A World of "Soft Robots" Could Actually Be the Gross Future We Need https://www.inverse.com/article/35979... "Jamie Paik, one of their creators and the director of the Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory at the Swiss Institute of Technology, tells Inverse these machines have a chance to revolutionize how humans and robots interact.