This Oddball Robot Can Swim, Crawl, and Even Ice Skate

The vast majority of mobile robots use wheels for locomotion, which makes sense because wheels are extremely efficient for traveling over flat, hard surfaces. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all wheels are good for, and that’s probably why biological wheels never evolved in nature. Animals have evolved locomotion to suit their environments, which means versatility is usually the most important factor. Pliant Energy Systems’ new robot takes that idea and runs with it — and swims, and even ice skates.

The Pliant Energy Systems robot utilizes a form of movement that is almost unheard of in robotics, but quite common in the animal world: undulating fins. The robot has a large flexible fin running down either side of its body that can be manipulated using a series of eight actuators. As those actuators move up and down, the shape of the fine changes. When that shape change is choreographed properly, the robot can move. It can skate over low-friction surfaces like ice, swim through water, slither over rough surfaces, and crawl through deep snow.

The amphibious nature of the Pliant Energy Systems robot makes it ideal for a number of potential applications. It can reverse direction and turn quickly, which is great for inspecting coral reefs. It can operate over and under polar ice, so it would be well suited for exploration and even rescue missions in those areas. It would even be desirable for professional and recreational divers. The fact that it can move so easily between water and land, and a different kinds of terrain, makes it extremely versatile.