UCLA and Michigan build hopping robot powered by snapping rods

Engineers at UCLA and the University of Michigan built an 11-cm, 98.2-g robot that hops using Nitinol rods that snap between shapes. It reaches 3.21 body lengths per second on wood and averages 2.46 versus 0.79 for a rigid-legged version, and can swim and steer with fins.

• Robot measures 11 cm long, weighs 98.2 g and hops on two snapping rear limbs
• Hits 3.21 body lengths per second on wood, averaging 2.46 vs 0.79 for rigid legs
• Nitinol rods store servo energy and abruptly flip shape to launch the robot
• With fins it swims at about half a body length per second and steers around obstacles