THIS SPIDER-INSPIRED ROBOT CAN ROLL LIKE A TYRE

This spider robot is inspired by the flic-flac spider and is known as the Bionic WheelBot, which can both walk and roll. Together with its discoverer, Professor Ingo Rechenberg, the Festo Bionic team has used their unique movement patterns and turned them into a technical masterpiece for the Hannover Messe 2018. The Festo team claims that the robot's mission is "to motivate, inspire and enthuse and to kick-start innovation."

Just when you think you can outrun this creepy little spider bot, it pulls a Transformer, becomes a wheel and rolls swiftly in your direction.

In order for the spider-bot to start rolling, the Bionic WheelBot bends three legs each on the left and right od its boy to make a wheel. Two of the legs folded up whilst walking then extended, push the rolled-up spider off the ground, and continuously push it forward whilst rolling.

This prevents the Bionic WheelBot from grinding to a halt and ensure that it can move forward even on rough terrain. When in rolling-mode, the artificial spider – like its natural role model – can move much faster than when in walking mode.

The robot can even overcome inclines of up to five percent uphill. The biological model for the Bionic WheelBot is the Cebrennus rechenbergi spider, it lives in the Erg Chebbi desert on the edge of the Sahara.

You can see the creepy-crawlie in action in the video below.