Many people think that robots are an inevitable part of the future. It would be pretty cool to have a droid friend around to save the day, or even just to keep you company when you got bored. While it may seem like something out of science fiction, researchers are already imagining a world in which robots become a more integrated part of our lives. We already have robots among us: some are designed to work in factories, creating uniform products continuously. You may even have one in your home, in the form of a little vacuum cleaner that self‐drives itself around the floor. But for robots to make it to the next level, scientists think they’ll need to be a bit more versatile. The robots scientists are imagining look nothing like the stiff creatures you might be thinking of. No need for an awkward robot with stiff legs that attempts to walk and act like we walk and act—researchers are hoping to cook up something entirely different from what we’re used to seeing.
