Why invent something you can borrow from nature? Creating the right motion for a robot to move well through sand or snow is a tricky problem, but one that nature solved long ago. By borrowing from biology, a new robot with a rotating coiled tail can move through loose powders at a good clip, making it useful for search and rescue missions or exploration. Many bacteria use rotation to help them move through gooey fluids, powered by propeller-like tails. Similarly, seeds of some plants such as geraniums have a coiled appendage called an awn that helps push them deeper into the soil. It is 12 centimetres long, with a hemispherical head and a helical tail.