Insect-sized robot has the agility of a cheetah

This roach-sized robot, created by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, is built of a layered material that expands and contracts when a voltage is applied, allowing it to scurry across the floor at nearly the speed of an actual cockroach. The addition of two electrostatic footpads gives researchers the ability to precisely control the robot’s trajectory, allowing the robot to make turns with a centripetal acceleration that matches that of a cheetah. Small, robust robots like these could be ideal for conducting search and rescue operations or investigating other hazardous situations. Reposted with permission from Jiaming Liang et al., Science Robotics, 2021: For full story, visit: