A Robot That Moves as Efficiently as a Seal on Land

Roboticists are always looking for new ways to make a robot move. Mimicking the kinetic abilities of animals has given us Atlas, designed like a human, Spot, designed like many quadruped animals such as dogs, and hexapod robots designed like six-legged insects. But why would anyone ever want to replicate the way a seal moves on land? It's not at all efficient, as seals are built to swim, not to slither around out of their element.  

A team led by Dimuthu Kodippili Arachchige at DePaul University in Chicago built this robot with four legs that can fill with liquid to selectively become rigid or soft, and therefore mimic a seal's forward motion. It sure is funny-looking. They say this method of motion may be helpful in search and rescue operations, where wheels might not work. Honestly, it's more likely that this robot will become a best-selling cat toy. -via Laughing Squid