Amphibious Aquapod might likely be the clumsiest robot ever (video)

It could seem like nothing greater than a random piece of seaside trash, but that ugly little creature you’re observing is essentially called Aquapod — an amphibious robot that crawls around by falling over itself. Literally. Developed by researchers on the University of Minnesota’s Center for Distributed Robotics , Aquapod uses two carbon fiber arms and a servo motor system to somersault itself around, like an inebriated horseshoe crab. It’s never the swiftest of bots, but this guy’s durable enough to maneuver across rough terrains and, per its nickname, is absolutely waterproof and in full control of its buoyancy. Creators Andrew Carlson and Nikos Papanikolopoulos say their $2,000 brainchild could sooner or later be used to watch fish populations and conduct underwater experiments — or to just scare the bejesus out of beach-going children. Video after the break.

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This post is tagged: andrew carlson, carbon-fiber, fish populations, little creature, rough terrains, underwater experiments, university of minnesota