Meet the Chembot

" Watching this screen -- They -- sold very sold the most horrifying -- has ever conceived. We'll be losing into this the --"

" I mean you might wanna read that this weekend Shannon that I I'm honest I don't -- I thought that was the 1958 -- out of the law of the -- oozing through the cracks in the walls scientists the Pentagon are turning fiction to reality need to -- blocked. It moves by inflating and deflating parts of its body via process called. Jamming. Which causes its own skin to change between semi liquid and solid states are researchers say well it. Could one day help save lives on the battlefield support -- the editor of military dot com I don't wore down there in DC good morning to you. I ability to see and talk to the manufacturers -- this'll be a Leo."

" What can -- do yet. Well the plan is that this -- would go where normal robots can't go and as you described in the intro. It can change from a solid state to a liquid like state now liquid state of the liquid light state. So imagine a soccer ball and a soccer ball as a bunch of geometric shapes sewn together know each one of those geometric shapes in a cam but. Is something that can be inflated -- Through the process called jamming like you said -- jamming is simply introducing air into a member and that is filled with particulate matter. BBs if you will. And in so doing and you equalize or neutralize the pressure make it solid or liquid like. And as you can see from the video there when you do that you can make the -- but role. Did Bayer gets smaller and you can imagine if you came up to a -- that if you knew how to manipulate it properly you could get. The camp but through a crack in the wall and then have it reform on the -- have some wacky stuff isn't that I would -- that is why don't doubt. Right well this is what DARPA does writing DARPA is I don't -- users. The defense advanced research. Agency. And what they do it and they were invented it in the wake of sputnik back in 1958 -- charter is to keep Americans. -- research and technology ahead of our potential enemies and so they do all kinds of things like that so -- let their minds go every day depending on what they can invent and create and wow what a playground they have what do sandbox. Or why -- really -- lord. Well this is just like we talk about previous with a -- those snake. In different tracked vehicles. This you can see the applications of this could have I mean it's just -- proof of concept phase right now. There is no scheduled for introduction of the battlefield. But you could see that with an insurgency or the different terrain and the stuff we deal with and Afghanistan in the villages. That this could be a great intelligence gathering device and it could also. Be something where special operations forces could deliver. A bomber hand grenade in and very secretive fashion. And the only limits would be how big is the hand -- that you know I know could they slip it through the wall. So you know this could get fast -- if General Petraeus or somebody like -- crystal -- and says hey this has. Some relevancy to what we're doing and it. Then a research program could turn into an acquisition program in short order and that this war at some -- maybe some -- could talk to other -- box so you put -- the other one body. And -- the ability to connect to another that's fast absolutely the the other thing that iRobot -- told me yesterday. Was the idea is you have a bunch of these that would be separated when they got to where they were going -- all join up together. And heroes like wonder twins sort of thing -- all joined together. And and reconstituted to a bigger device on the other side of the law so a lot of cool potential here. Like you said -- the blob with an attitude and form of an iceberg -- Some some some right. -- yeah you referred to it -- two answers ago how long before could be in practical use. Well right now it is in the proof of concept phase there is not a program of record. That the Pentagon is trying to develop so there is no schedule. But as I said if it looks like it works all you need is. Somebody in a position of military power to say I want that and suddenly. It would be 50000 troops in -- thousand cam -- her it's remarkable things were coming in today we're okay bill I don't want."