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Mechatronic jellyfish, sensor-laden seals, and lobster look-alikes are just a few of the robots whose main design techniques derive from the animal kingdom. These artificial jellyfish [above] are blooming in the labs of engineers at Festo, a German automation company. Inside each AquaJelly’s umbrella-shaped top are 11 LEDs that pulse infrared signals. The lights allow the robots to communicate with their mechanical brethren, enabling them to operate as a swarm and adjust their positions relative to each other. IEEE Spectrum Online shows you how today’s robots are gaining new abilities to swim, skip, and nuzzle in a convincingly lifelike way.
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