Inspired by nature, this robot morphs to overcome almost any obstacle

This robot can drive, roll, and even paddle

Meet Goat, the shapeshifting robot designed to move across almost any terrain by changing its form in real time

Developed by researchers at EPFL, Goat stands for good over all terrain

and it's built to handle obstacles in a way that's totally different from most robots

Instead of relying on tons of sensors and complex programming, goat adapts as it moves

Kind of like how a mountain goat climbs steep cliffs or an armadillo rolls into a ball for particular

But Goat takes it a step further. It can switch between different movement styles on the fly

It has two main modes, a flat rover mode where it drives like a tiny off-road vehicle

and a spherical mode where it rolls to save energy. Rolling is perfect for going downhill or moving over rough terrain

While the rover mode gives it more control on flat ground, and it's not just limited to land

It can even float and paddle through water. The secret behind this? A very simple but smart design

Goat's body is made of flexible fiberglass rods, and it more than rods and it morphs using cables kind of like how tendons in our bodies work Two cables tighten the structure allowing it to shift between shapes Its battery computer and sensors are securely stored in the center keeping them protected while it rolls like a ball Goat doesn use cameras either Unlike most autonomous robots that need high

vision systems to navigate, Goat just follows the easiest path using a basic navigation system

With only satellite positioning and an orientation sensor, it moves with the environment instead

of trying to overpower it. That means fewer expensive sensors, less processing power, and a more

efficient way to explore tough landscapes. The researchers behind Goat took inspiration from

animals like spiders, cockroaches, and even octopuses, creating a robot that's both adaptable

and energy efficient. Because of its simple but effective design, it has a ton of potential

applications, from exploring disaster zones and monitoring the environment, to even one day

traveling to other planets. Right now, Goat is still in its early stages, but scientists are

already working on ways to improve it, from better algorithms to different sizes for different tasks

And who knows? The future of robotics might not be about building bigger, stronger machines, but smarter, more flexible ones