Scientists have pulled inspiration from insects in order to create a tiny, resilient robot. Referred to as'DEAnsect', this bug-like robot is made of soft materials, carries five times its weight and moves its artificial muscles 400 times a second. What makes this creation so unique that it is able to withstand multiple hits from a fly swatter, being folded or squashed without being damaged – making this robot design ideal for performing various tasks. DEAnsect was developed by a team from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland working with the Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) and colleagues from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France. DEAnsect is designed with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs),which is a type of hair-thin artificial muscle that propels it forward through vibrations. Scientists have pulled inspiration from insects in order to create a tiny, resilient robot.

This rugged little robot takes a licking and keeps on ticking. When fretting about an imaginary robot apocalypse, it's customary to worry about large robots like Boston Dynamics' Atlas and Spot. But have you considered the potential peril of swarms of tiny, unsquishable robo-insects? The DEAnsect, a fly-swatter-defying soft robot, could inspire all sorts of sci-fi fun, but its creators foresee a helpful future where the tiny bots work together for inspections, repairs or as remote emissaries sent to study real insect colonies. A team at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland developed the fast, agile robot. "DEAnsect is propelled by soft artificial muscles: It can be twisted, bent, squeezed, while retaining its functionality," EPFL said.