Strange new robot inspired by sea urchins moves in all different directions

Most robots move through the world the same way animals do. A robot dog runs forward on four legs, a humanoid keeps its balance like a person, and drones point themselves toward wherever they need to go. Even when engineers create something futuristic, the basic idea usually stays familiar because the machine still has a front, a back, and a preferred direction of movement. A new robot from Duke University throws that idea out almost completely.

Strange new robot inspired by sea urchins moves in all different directions. Most robots move through the world the same way animals do. A robot dog runs forward on four legs, a humanoid keeps its balance like a person, and drones point themselves toward wherever they need to go. Even when engineers create something futuristic, the basic idea usually stays familiar because the machine still has a front, a back, and a preferred direction of movement. A new robot from Duke University throws that idea out almost completely. A robot without direction The machine is called Argus, and at first glance, it barely looks like a robot at all. Instead of copying an animal or a human, it resembles a strange mechanical sea creature covered in legs. It can roll across rough ground, recover after heavy impacts, climb between walls, and continue moving ev...