Chemical ‘caterpillar’ points to electronics-free robots
From newscientist.com:
A chemical gel that can walk like an inchworm, or looper caterpillar has been demonstrated in a Japanese robotics lab.
Shingo Maeda and colleagues made the colour-changing, motile gel by combining polymers that change in size depending on their chemical environment. This is based on an oscillating chemical reaction called the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. The result is an autonomous material that moves without electronic stimulation.
Thanks to LBA for the link!
