Researchers at the University of Bristol and Bristol Robotics Lab created Tetraflex - a tetrahedron-shaped robot with flexible tubes that can traverse challenging terrain and safely transport fragile objects.

Published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, the study shows Tetraflex moving in various ways by extending and contracting its soft bellows racks via pneumatic pressure changes.

This versatility could enable search-and-rescue, oil rig inspection, space exploration and other applications in constrained environments. Object transportation could assist nuclear decommissioning or collecting samples.

Tetraflex's enclosed flexible body also allows capturing payloads from hard-to-access areas. By coordinating rack length changes, it generates rolling and crawling motions to maneuver through gaps and over rubble.

The researchers highlight Tetraflex's diversity of motion and terrain-traversing abilities in tight spaces hazardous for humans. An early version took 3rd place in a locomotion competition, moving through obstacles.

Next steps include applying machine learning to thoroughly study and optimize motion patterns for smoother, more advanced capabilities.

Tetraflex demonstrates soft robots' advantages in resilience, flexibility, and access. Its pneumatic deforming Tetrahedral frame points to new possibilities for search, transport, and exploration.

Simple pneumatic actuation applied intelligently can unlock surprising mobility. This research provides a promising template for nimble resilience and object handling, key strengths for future real-world robot applications.