Very cool stuff.

Engineers say they have built the first self-contained, completely soft robot – in the shape of a small octopus.

Made from silicone gels of varying stiffness, the “octobot” is powered by a chemical reaction that pushes gas through chambers in its rubbery legs.

Because of this design, the robot does not need batteries or wires – and contains no rigid components at all.

Instead, a sequence of limb movements is pre-programmed into a sort of circuit board built from tiny pipes.

[…]

The hope is that one day, soft robots will wiggle their way into awkward surgical locations or squeeze under obstacles on search-and-rescue missions.

Real-world tasks like these, particularly if they involve human interaction, are challenging or even impossible for conventional, rigid robots – which are much more comfortable in the structured, repetitive environment of the factory floor.

I imagine that the researchers will soon receive a grant from the porn industry.