Ultra-fast octopus-inspired robot

http://arxiv.org/abs/1409.3984

Pretty cool, IMHO. (Had to trim title to fit forum format)

Cheers,

Earl

 

Thanks Earl. Fascinating stuff.

 

So if you want to make a fast getaway, fart.

Poida

 

That is fascinating and got me thinking, although I can't think of an application other than at a micro scale maybe.

 

rapid size-change

Thinking that this could be useful to surfers who need rapid bursts of speed to catch waves or avoid them.
Imagine duck-diving a big wave and having some sort of stored energy that would propel you through that sucking malestrom, instead of back over the falls!
Or realizing, at the last minute, that you need to be 40 yards further out in a hurry to take advantage of a huge set.
The conundrum, of course, is how to accumulate/store/utilize the necessary energy to power such a phenomenon.
Perhaps genetic engineering could be able to do something with enhanced flatulence??? (possibly combined with a ducted ahole)
Popeye was able to pull off amazing feats with just a can of spinach, so how about pork and beans?

 

It's not going to be anything on the surface. Too unpredictable what the changing balloon will do. And diving as a puffer would kind of get in the way