A robot that survives through self-amputation

Credit: Yale University Self-amputation may seem like a drastic move, but it’s a survival tactic that’s proved particularly handy for numerous creatures. Yale roboticists have drawn inspiration from lizards, crabs, and other animals who shed parts of themselves without looking back, all for the purpose of moving forward. Outside the lab, a robot could face many potential perils: A falling tree limb, perhaps, or getting stuck under a rock on a search-and-rescue mission. In most cases, that would be it for the robot. But the lab of Prof. Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio has developed a technology that allows a robot to selectively Read More