Snakebot – the perfect spy
‘British scientists have devised a snake-like robot spy, which uses Darwin’s principle of evolution to keep moving even if it gets damaged by hostile fire. The “snakebot”, still only a lab prototype, is designed to be dropped out of helicopters and creep around a battlefield, using optical, audio and other sensors to build up a picture of enemy activity.

But the smartest part of the device is the software, which takes a “survival of the fittest” approach to produce a system that continually evolves to improve itself.

The designers tested the programme by disabling some of the robot’s segments to see if it could adapt to injury. Initially, the snake was immobilised but eventually its “brain” worked out how to move again, and arrived at its destination.’

The research is being funded by BAE Systems.
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