7 Impossible Things Happening Right Now

5. The Non-Robotic Robot

This cute little guy might not look like much, but he's actually a revolutionary.

When most people picture robots, images of shining metal, clanking joints and whirring motors probably come to mind, but in the filed of soft robotics, scientists are trying to create something a little more organic. Up until now, true soft bodied robots have been an impossibility, let alone autonomous ones. They've always had to feature rigid elements like a battery pack or a circuit board, but the octobot is entirely, for want of a more technical term, squishy and, like you powers itself via chemical reactions.

Now, this little guy is a proof of concept and probably won't be able to fold your washing or look after your kids, but it does demonstrate that it is possible to build completely soft autonomous machines.

In future, these could be used in medical applications, search and rescue situations (as they are able to slip through tight cracks), or even just as more "lifelike" household/service robots. A little tank of octobots would definitely look good in the home of the future.