Imagine a world where robots creep up on you: Electric motors just a gentle whir, hard shells changing color to blend in with their surroundings. Well, there’s no need to imagine—it’s happened.

A newly developed rubbery, octopuslike robot can change colors to hide or stand out in its environment. Scientists at Harvard have recently begun developing flexible robots from elastic plastics and ...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpOl_pEmRqs&feature=player_embedded] Soft robots are made of silicone and use hydraulic controls to move across a surface or ...

Why is Christian Science in our name? Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that. The Church publishes the Monitor ...

A team of researchers led by George Whitesides, the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor, has already broken new engineering ground with the development of soft, silicone-based robots ...

Scientists at the University of California (UC), Riverside have created a new type of ultra-thin film with an incredible ability to change color as it is twisted or bent. Such a material, the ...

Animals are brilliant, aren't they? They can fly, they can stay underwater without coming up for air, and they can even make themselves invisible. While I am a fan of the fluffier members of the ...

A new soft, quivering robot walks when inflated and changes color when colored fluid—including glow-in-the-dark liquid—is pumped into its "body." Researchers at Harvard University have made a soft, ...

Last year, we covered a radically different approach to robotics. Instead of the hard, mechanical skeletons that are features of most robots, a team was inspired by squid, and built a soft, flexible ...