Paleobionics is a new field of robotics that seeks to combine the engineering principles of robotics with the anatomy of ancient organisms. Now, researchers have developed a “softbot” that draws inspiration from a species of million-year-old sea creatures.

The softbot, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, is a soft robot that mimics the anatomy of a species of 500-million-year-old sea creatures called bryozoans. The robot is made up of a silicone based material that has been programmed to move in a similar way to the bryozoans. The movements are generated by a combination of pressure and temperature changes, a process which the researchers have dubbed “paleobionics.”

This new research is an exciting step forward in the field of robotics and could lead to the development of robots that are more agile and efficient than current models. It also provides a unique insight into the anatomy of ancient creatures, and could be used to better understand the behavior of extinct species.

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source: Phys.org