AI-Designed Modular Robots Can Keep Moving Even After Losing Limbs

According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from Northwestern University have developed modular robots designed using artificial intelligence.

These robots are capable of continuing to move across rough terrain even after losing individual components or entire limbs. The innovation represents a step toward creating machines that can better adapt to damage and unpredictable environments.

As one of the developers explains, the robots are built from small autonomous units, each of which can operate independently. This is why they are referred to as “metamachines.”

During testing, the robots moved confidently across grass, transitioned onto concrete surfaces, and after simulated damage, adjusted their mode of locomotion without any external control. Even when the structure was split apart, the robot remained fully functional.