In spite of its small size (approximately 10 centimeters in length), this small robot is capable of providing science fiction-like performance, such as for example running at one meter and a half per second (that’s roughly 15 times the length of its body!).

Also, since the shell that covers it is entirely made of laminated cardboard, which on the inside contains a thin layer of polymeric material, its weight does not exceed 16 grams. Thanks to its extreme lightness, DASH (Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod) is capable of surviving a free fall from an 8-storey building.

Preparation and printout of the cardboard, as well as assembly, can be carried out within less than 30 minutes. Motion on DASH is provided by 6 legs, whose motion is based on an imitation of insects or cockroaches in order to reach such high speed if compared to its size.

At the current stage, DASH, a project from University of Berkeley is still in its early experimental stages, and researchers are studying the possibility of mounting miniature devices on it, such as a listening device, a miniature camera, an array of sensors and even a SIM card module, in order to be able to use it in surveillance operations and long-distance information gathering.

And on top of this, the entire system might be powered via a tiny nuclear battery, which would make it perfectly suitable for long-term surveillance operations.

DASH Video