Researchers from Austria’s Johannes Kepler University have developed a fast moving robot composed of soft material.

The soft material — a flexible plastic polydimethylsiloxane infused with magnetic microparticles such as an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron — moves in response to a changing magnetic field.

The material can move in different ways and at different speeds according to factors such as the placement of the microparticles and material thickness.

To demonstrate the speed at which the material moves, the researchers created different soft material robots that can hover, swim, walk and even capture a fly as demonstrated in the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Johannes Kepler University.

The developers believe that the micrometers-thin material could be used for a host of different applications in the future, including to unblock blood vessels in the body.

The research appears in the journal Communications Materials.