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Octopus-Inspired Robot Swims With Soft Silicone Web

Researchers from the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) in Heraklion, Greece have developed a webbed robotic octopus. An earlier, web-less version could propel itself at up to 100 millimeters per second by slowly opening stiff plastic arms and then snapping them together. Now, with both its arms and a new web made out of soft silicone, the octobot can swim up to 180 millimeters per second.