This Robot Has 3D Printed Bones, Mimics How Salamanders Move

Roboticists and scientists often borrow ideas from nature to build more sophisticated robots. As it turns out, EPFL scientists have designed a new robot that mimics the way salamanders walk and swim. The robot has 3D-printed bones, motorized joints, and a “nervous system.”

Pleurobot can walk, crawl, and swim underwater. It is accurately based on the 3D motion of the animal’s skeleton. The robot has 27 motors and 11 segments along its spine, so it has fewer bones and joints than salamanders. More information is available here.