The evolutionary cycle goes something like this: Something is born, forced to compete for resources, and then allowed to pass on the traits that helped it survive to future generations. That's how life got its start — and now the University of Warsaw is going to apply the same principle to a robot caterpillar.
The robot in question is a 15-millimeter-long strip of liquid crystal elastomer that changes its shape when it's hit with a green laser. These changes allow the robot to move like a caterpillar on flat surfaces, climb slopes, and squeeze through small openings. It's a breakthrough in building small, soft, light-controlled robots, and it will become even more interesting after the people who created it make it fight to the death.
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