How to make a robot jump | Science News

A soft-and-stiff body puts a spring in a new jumping robot’s step. A butane-fueled explosion sparked inside this soft robot launches it skyward. A rubbery plastic belly balloons out, letting the bot shove off the ground. Stiffer plastic up top holds the bot’s delicate parts in place. N.W. Bartlett et al. A 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion. Science. Vol. 349, July 10, 2015, p. 161. doi: Video courtesy of Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engin