Scientists from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed an earthworm-inspired robot for underground exploration, search and rescue missions, and excavation.

The new soft robot crawls thanks to soft actuators that elongate or contract in response to air being drawn in or drawn out.

Source: IIT

To mimic the locomotion of earthworms, the IIT team constructed a peristaltic soft actuator (PSA) that elongates when air is pumped into it and that compresses when air is removed.

Composed of five fluid-filled PSA modules connected with interlinks, the earthworm robot prototype is reportedly 45 cm long and weighs around 605 grams, according to its developers. Additionally, the prototype also features small passive friction pads inspired by earthworms' setae.

An article detailing the earthworm-inspired robot, An earthworm-like modular soft robot for locomotion in multi-terrain environments, appears in the journal Scientific Reports.

For more information on the earthworm-inspired robot, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of IIT.