This is CRAM (compressible robot with articulated mechanisms).
It has a trick: it can squeeze into some really tight spaces.
Researchers at UC Berkeley created the robot, which is inspired by cockroaches. (Video via National Geographic)
The pesky insects can get almost anywhere by compressing their bodies. This is kind of gross.
Some cockroaches can safely withstand up to 900x their body weight. This is also gross.
CRAM was designed to do the same thing.
It splays its legs outward when compressed — just like cockroaches.
CRAM is still just a prototype. Researchers say it might one day be used to navigate rubble in a disaster.
This video includes images from Getty Images.
