US unveils bizarre-legged robots that self-repair and survive damage

Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a novel class of modular robots called “legged metamachines,” which are composed of autonomous, Lego-like modules each containing its own circuit board, battery, and motor. These modules can individually roll and jump, but their true capability emerges when connected, forming half-meter-long limbs with a central sphere housing essential components akin to a nervous system, metabolism, and muscle. Using an evolutionary algorithm that simulates natural selection, the team designed bizarre, alien-like robot forms that mimic natural animal movements such as those of seals, lizards, and kangaroos. These metamachines exhibit remarkable athleticism and intelligence despite their mechanical simplicity. A key breakthrough of these robots is their ability to survive extreme damage through self-repair and reconfiguration. When damaged or severed, the robots do not fail; instead, separated modules remain autonomous agents capable of sensing, moving, computing, and learning independently until they can rejoin the collective. Physical prototypes with three to five legs were tested