Scientists at the University of California San Diego have created something straight out of science fiction, and it’s about to change everything we thought we knew about robotics.
Researchers at the university’s Bioinspired Robotics Laboratory have developed robots that can literally walk right off a 3D printer. The most mind-blowing part? Each one costs only about $20 to make. That’s less than your fancy dinner delivery.
“This is a completely different way of looking at building machines,” explained Michael Tolley, a professor in the UC San Diego Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the paper’s senior author.
These Robots Go Where No Electronics Have Gone Before
The six-legged machines aren’t just cheap—they’re practically indestructible in environments that would fry traditional robots.
These little mechanical marvels could be deployed for scientific reconnaissance in radiation-heavy areas, disaster response situations, or even space exploration. Just imagine a swarm of these walking across the surface of Mars!
The research team conducted extensive testing and discovered something remarkable: as long as these robots were connected to a source of air or gas under constant pressure, they kept functioning non-stop for three days straight. No breaks, no charging, no complaints.
Taking It To The Streets (And Sand… And Water)
The robots aren’t just lab experiments either. The team demonstrated that they could walk outdoors completely untethered, powered by nothing more than a compressed gas cartridge.
These mechanical hexapods casually strolled across different terrains including grass and sand without breaking a sweat. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the robots can even walk underwater. Let that sink in for a moment.
Breaking All The Rules Of Robot Design
What makes these robots truly revolutionary is that they’re made from flexible, soft materials instead of traditional rigid components that dominate the robotics field.
“These robots are not manufactured with any of the traditional, rigid components researchers typically use,” said Tolley. They’re literally made from simple 3D-printing filament—the same kind of material hobbyists use in their home printers.
The team was led by postdoctoral scholar Yichen Zhai from UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering. “We have taken a giant leap forward with a robot that walks entirely on its own,” Zhai proudly stated.
How Do They Even Work?
The science behind the motion is both ingenious and surprisingly old-school. Researchers created a pneumatic oscillating circuit to control the repeated movements of the soft actuators—similar to the mechanism that drove a locomotive’s steam engine.
This circuit coordinates the movement of all six legs by delivering air pressure at precisely the right moment, alternating between two sets of three legs. The robots’ legs can move in four degrees of freedom—up and down, forward and back—allowing them to walk in a straight line.
What’s Next For These Walking Wonders?
The research team isn’t stopping here. Future plans include finding ways to store compressed gas inside the robots and exploring recyclable or biodegradable materials.
They’re also looking at adding manipulators, such as grippers, to the robots—potentially turning them into tiny workers that could perform tasks in environments too dangerous for humans or traditional electronics.
The UC San Diego lab partnered with BASF corporation through their California Research Alliance (CARA) to test various soft materials compatible with standard 3D printers. While some high-end materials they tested aren’t yet commercially available, the team also successfully printed functional robots using standard, off-the-shelf materials.
This groundbreaking research was partially funded by the National Science Foundation and was first showcased at the 2022 Gordon Research Conference on Robotics before being published in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems.