When Battlebots first hit the scene a few years ago, I remember seeing a really neat creation that was basically a big mechanical snake. In the grand scheme of the game, it was terrible, since it really couldn't stop anything. However, the concept was pretty novel. Now it looks like some folks at the University of Michigan's Mobile Robotics Lab have created one that might actually be useful.
In one test, the OmniTread climbed an 18-inch curb, which is more than twice its height. It also crossed a 66-centimeter trench, which is half its length. In another test, it inched up a pipe by pushing against opposite walls.
