Researchers from the NASA Jet Propulsion Library at the California Institute of Technology (JPL-CalTech) have developed a snake-like robot that is now being eyed for tunnel warfare applications conducted by the U.S. military.

The Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), a mobile robotic tool originally designed for the exploration of extraterrestrial worlds, is now being considered for tunnel warfare thanks to the system’s ability to explore extreme terrains that cannot be reached via ground robots.

An illustration of the EELS system. Source: JPL-CalTech

According to its developers, the EELS system, which is composed of several identical segments that enable the robot to move in a sidewinding, snake-like motion, can traverse water, sand, ice and rock.

Further, the EEL is driven by propulsion mechanisms and its segments work in unison and feature gripping mechanisms.

Lab and field tests of the EELS system are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

For more information on the EELS system, watch the accompanying video featuring earlier iterations of the EELS. The video appears courtesy of JPL/CalTech.