Future robots could avoid damage by rolling up like armadillos (opens in new tab)

Nature has long served as a source of inspiration for scientific innovations. Many animals have evolved defensive features such as skins, shells, and scales to protect themselves from predators. Because protective mechanisms are essential in both biological organisms and engineered systems, a lot of these features have already been adopted in modern technologies. Recently, researchers from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University drew inspirati...