Frog-like robot hops and swims using snapping elastic rods

Researchers at the University of Michigan and UCLA built a palm-sized robot that hops and swims using a snapping mechanism made of twisted elastic rods. The 3.4-ounce robot moves about three body lengths per second, and the study was published in Science Advances.

• The robot weighs 3.4 ounces and moves about three body lengths per second
• Its propulsion relies on twisted elastic rods that store and rapidly release energy
• The prototype hops on wood, glass, leather, sand and grass, and swims with paddles
• The design rules scale down to robots just a few millimeters in size