Soft bodied robots

Here's a great multi-disciplinary approach to robotics.

Most of today's robots are built from an assembly of stiff materials in contrast to most living systems that leverage primarily soft, elastic materials in combination with stiff materials such as bone. This article talks about a Tufts University initiative that starts with building robots that from materials that mimic biological material. It's a really interesting first step toward their ultimate goal "...to develop systems and devices -- soft-bodied robots-- based on biological materials and on the adaptive mechanisms found in living cells, tissues and whole organisms".

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070128105355.htm