Watch: Harvard researchers create a snake-like skin for soft robots

Researchers at Harvard University used Kirigami, a Japanese form of paper cutting, to create a snake-like skin for soft robots. The skin was made by making tiny cuts in a plastic sheet, which they wrapped around a small soft actuator—a type of motor that controls a mechanism. When inflated the cuts in the sheet expand, creating friction with the ground, which in turn allows the robot to move forward. Watch the video above to see the robot in action.