This robotic cockroach can survive almost anything

It's a big, creeping, crawling world out there. And as designers increasingly look to nature for inspiration in building their robots, it was only a matter of time before someone built a cockroach-bot.

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Well, those someones turned out to be Kaushik Jayaram and Robert Full of UC Berkley. Their clever little device imitates the erstwhile American cockroach's uncanny ability to survive crushing, squeeze through tight cracks, and run even while compressed.

cockroach Roach robot parts
UC Berkley

The roach-bot, named Compressible Robot with Articulated Mechanisms, or CRAM, is also remarkable for being so cockroach-y without giving us the creeps.

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Here's a look at the robot's flexible skeleton.

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Here's the skeleton getting pressed on.

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This is a real live cockroach handily surviving a good crushing.

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And here's how the robot does it.

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Cockroaches can fit through impossibly tight spaces.

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And even run when squished to a quarter of their size.

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Here's how CRAM replicates that motion.

 

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Of course, cockroaches are also great runners in general.

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CRAM's a zippy little bugger too.

 

Check out this video for more on CRAM and its cockroach-y inspiration.

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