Researchers have made a breakthrough in the field of robotics by creating the first 3-D printed soft robot capable of moving autonomously. The problem with soft robots is they typically have some rigid components, like batteries and control electronics.

"This robot is a demonstration of a method to integrate the rigid components with the body of the soft robot through a gradient of material properties, eliminating an abrupt hard-to-soft transition that is often a failure point", said senior study author Robert J. Wood, a roboticist and a professor of electrical engineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

Lead study author Nicholas Bartlett said the robot is able to withstand the impact of dozens of landings because of its stiffness gradient.

The robot is also capable of surviving the combustion event required for jumping. The robot's improved overall robustness is not the only thing that amazes you, but it's much quicker locomotion than traditional soft robots as well.

Soft robotics is a relatively new field, but has a lot of potential as 3-D printing is playing a crucial rule in its advancement. A jumping robot could provide better access to inaccessible areas than traditional mobile wheeled or legged robots.

Such a robot could turn out to be a big help in rescue or exploration missions in collapsed buildings. The new approach in robotics has been devised by researchers at the University of California San Diego and Harvard University. The robot has a partially soft body as 3D printing technology helped researchers incorporate rigid and soft parts.