It was the end of the second day of cycling, about 200 km in. I had just had a large hamburger with fries at a gas station and was making my way up a valley at sunset, when I noticed this white horse standing in a meadow, like something out of a fairy tale.
If a garden hose were possessed by a demon, it might look like this. A new tube robot can unravel at 35 kilometres per hour to a maximum length of 72 metres, changing direction at whim. It even has the ability to turn handles.
Unlike most robots and animals, plants move by growing. It’s a slow process, but a growing plant can easily get round corners or into tight spaces.
The new robot does the same thing, only faster. It has up to three chambers that, when filled with air, force extra material to unfold. By controlling the airflow in each chamber, the robot can change direction.
