Scientists wanted to have detailed information on the movement of the semi-aquatic insect, as how they are able to jump from water surfaces with the same amount of force and height as a jump from hard surface. In this process, they have developed a robot that is able to jump on water.

Researchers from different institutes, including Seoul National University (SNU) in Korea, Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences were involved in the project.

The research published in the Science journal has unveiled that the scientists first studied the mechanism used by water striders that involved using long, curve-tipped legs to lift off with ease from the water's surface.

Study's co-researcher Kyu Jin Cho from the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at SNU said in order to attain a perfect jump, there is a need of press water's surface at right speed for right amount of time and at a certain length. All these are perfectly achieved by water striders.

Study researchers have affirmed that they had tried many times and failed as well while trying to replicate the movements of water strider in robot. During trials, they came to know that it is important to maintain leg contact on fluid surface for longer time period to attain a smooth jump off.

Study's co-researcher Je-Sung Koh from the Wyss Institute and the Harvard Paulson School said, "Using its legs to push down on water, the natural water strider exerts the maximum amount of force just below the threshold that would break the water's surface". The robotic insect produced by researchers is able to exert up to 16 times its own body weight on water surface.