Everybody knows how annoying cockroaches can be. They can squeeze through small spaces to get out of sight quickly. As it happens, robots inspired by cockroaches can be used to rapidly squeeze through cracks and help in search & rescue missions. CRAM is a compressible robot with articulated mechanisms that can splay its legs outward when squashed. Designed by Berkeley scientist, this robot is capable of running through crevices half its height. It has a segmented pliable shell. Here is what Robert Full, a professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, had to say about this robot:
In the event of an earthquake, first responders need to know if an area of rubble is stable and safe, but the challenge is, most robots can’t get into rubble, … But if there are lots of cracks and vents and conduits, you can imagine just throwing a swarm of these robots in to locate survivors and safe entry points for first responders
More information is available here.
