Hop, skip and jumping robots February 11, 2013 | Jumping robots
powered by a combustion engine? Sounds like something from 1930s
sci-fi. New leaps and bounds in heat-resistant materials mean
soft-bodied silicon robots can now use controlled explosions,
like those in car engines, to make them jump really high. An
electrode sparks a reaction in the simple robot’s leg. This
releases lots of energy downwards, making the robot hop up to 30
cm off the ground. This jump in innovation could lead to new
search-and-rescue robots designed to leap and do cartwheels over
obstacles. This research appears in the 8 February 2013 issue of
the journal Nature. Do you like this story?VN:F [1.9.4_1102]214
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