Q:

Is it possible to animate a statue?

Could one construct a statue out of materials that could be made to move in controlled or semi-controlled ways? The question is essentially can one make a robot without the internal mechanics? I'm thinking about materials that would generate motion in reaction to electrical current or focused chemical reactions.

A:

This is almost exactly related to the study of Flexible Robotics, which is an ongoing effort at the PhD level.
As a note, there will always be internal mechanics.  Even the human body relies on the internal mechanics of the skeleton.  However, with flexible robotics, you have more opportunities to put the structure, sensors, and effectors in the skin of the object, rather than being forced to always tie them to some internal metal structure.  Flexible robotics let you use the inherent qualities of the material more readily than other forms of robotics.

