Soft robot creeps around – creepily, no less

Want to see something that might just creep you out? You won’t go wrong, really, with the soft robot in the video demonstration right after the jump. All the brains over at MIT’s DARPA and Boeing-funded Chembots program have managed to put seed money to good use by rolling out an extremely lifelike self-propelling robot that moves along, assisted by a pneumatic battery. This particular power source will use a hydrogen peroxide catalyst that will inflate a soft silicone pod, which in turn forces the bot to lunge forward. The inclusion of electropermanent magnets will help regulate built-in valves, where a small amount of current is required to activate the bot. No idea on where these robotic ‘maggots’ will see action – on the battlefield as espionage devices, or to crawl through holes and function as a rescue bot?