Swarms of robots inspired by water-hopping insects could one day be used for surveillance, search-and-rescue missions and environmental monitoring, researchers say.
More than 1,200 species of animals have evolved the ability to walk on water. These include tiny creatures such as insects and spiders, and larger beasts such as reptiles, birds and even mammals.
Whereas relatively big animals, such as the so-called "Jesus lizard," must slap water with enough force and speed to keep their heavy bodies from going under, insects called water striders are small enough for their weight to be almost entirely supported by the surface tension of water — the same phenomenon that makes water droplets bead up. In 2003, scientists created the first robots that mimic the water strider, which is capable of floating on top of, and skating across, the surface of water.
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