What if robots could be powered by light instead of bulky battery packs or movement-limiting power cables?

That’s the scenario that scientists at the University of Warsaw are envisioning.

Researchers have developed a half-inch-long so-called soft robot that mimics the movements of a caterpillar. It’s powered by light and controlled by a laser beam, according to the university.

“Designing soft robots calls for a completely new paradigm in their mechanics, power supply and control,” said Piotr Wasylczyk, head of the Photonic Nanostructure Facility at the University of Warsaw, in a statement. “We are only beginning to learn from nature and shift our design approaches towards these that emerged in natural evolution.”

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