VIDEO: NEW ROBOT SUCKS IT UP TO GET THE JOB DONE!

One of the key challenges when it comes to soft robotics is not just making the parts themselves soft, but the actuators that control those parts, too. Researchers in Switzerland have now taken another step forward in the soft robotics area, with a modular robot that can walk, climb vertical surfaces and even move things around.

Each module of the robot consists of three inflatable pillars made from foam and silicone-rubber, sandwiched between small circular panels. All the pillars of the robot are controlled by a single vacuum pump, and by inflating some and not others, the module robot can be made to bend in three directions. When you plug these modules into one another, you have got a kind of robotic-tower that can perform a range of tasks. 

It can be placed flat and move in waves to shuffle along the ground like a snake, can be fitted with suction cups to climb vertical surfaces, and use those cups to pick up and move objects. 

Check out how the modular robot does its thing in the video below!!