Discover 1-2

Water

snake toy

97

90 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM

FROM TOP: SANTIAGO MEJIA/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/POLARIS.; ERNIE MASTROIANNI/DISCOVER; L.H. BLUMENSCHEIN

❯ 

WITH A PUFF OF AIR, this

vine-inspired robot can

nose itself into a number

of tight situations.

Created by researchers at

Stanford University and reported

in July, the contraption is

essentially a plastic tube connected

to an air pump. It moves

by turning itself inside

out, drawing material

from the inside to extend

the tube farther — similar

to those water snake toys from

the ’90s. Another version of the

bot has a chamber on either side;

inflating just one enables it to turn.

The tube-bot’s design enhances

its versatility, as its outer layer

remains stationary rather than

needing to slide over surfaces.

In early tests, the robot could

extend from a compressed

length of just 11 inches

to over 200 feet and

could carry objects inside

it, such as a length of wire to serve

as an antenna or water to put out

a fire. Researchers say it could

search through rubble, serve as

a catheter or even deliver devices

inside the body.  NATHANIEL SCHARPING

Tubular

Technology

This robot carries cameras (above) and

winds around corners (below), just two

of its helpful skills for scenarios like

search-and-rescue situations.