🤖Legless robot jumps 10 feet, Musk’s humanoid army suffers due to China curbs, US reviving WWII airbase

Inspired by the spring-loaded motion of tiny parasitic nematodes, engineers have developed a robot that can leap to significant heights.

A 5-inch soft robot developed by a team at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) can jump 10 feet, roughly the height of a basketball hoop, all without using legs.

The robot is made of a silicone rod reinforced with a carbon-fiber spine. It mimics the nematode’s unique self-pinching motion to launch itself forward or backward. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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🤖 5-inch legless robot jumps 10 feet in air, as high as basketball hoop

Using high-speed cameras, researchers saw how nematodes (worms) move and how they modify their bodies to propel themselves in particular directions.

To mimic the bidirectional jumping ability seen in nematodes, researchers created a robot called SoftJM (Soft Jumping Model) that is based on silicone elastomer. Their research shows how slight changes in starting body posture may accurately control jump direction.

The breakthrough could lead to agile soft robots that navigate diverse terrains by jumping in multiple directions and at varying heights, opening new possibilities for exploration, search-and-rescue missions, and robotic mobility in unstructured environments.

🦾 China’s crackdown could cripple Tesla’s 2025 humanoid robot launch

The future of household help, even factory work, might be facing an unexpected delay.

Tesla’s ambitious plans to mass-produce its Optimus humanoid robot this year are running into a major hurdle due to the growing trade tensions between China and the US.

On April 4, China’s Commerce Ministry restricted exports of seven rare earth elements and magnets. This action is in retaliation for new tariffs imposed by U.S President Donald Trump on Chinese products.

💣 US reviving WWII airbase that launched nuclear bombs on Japan sparks local concern

A former airbase used by the United States in World War II to drop the two atomic bombs on Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki is bustling with activity again.

At this time, the US military is restoring the 80-year-old facility situated on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands. Located close to Guam, its strategic importance is quite evident. This is all the more important as the US is seeking to bolster its presence in the Pacific Ocean.

The recent tensions with China over Taiwan and other issues have led the US to get on a spree to get its military bases and allies ready for a potential conflict.

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