November 17, 2006 10:23 AM PST
What the robot eventually works out is a kind of inchworm movement, alternately shifting its legs and body. It also can, in a sense, heal itself: When the researchers removed part of one leg, the machine ran another 16 simulations and developed a new gait--essentially, a limp.
Pictured here with the robot are (left to right) Viktor Zykov, a Cornell graduate student; Josh Bongard, a professor at the University of Vermont who joined in the Cornell effort; and project leader Lipson.
Photo by Lindsay France/Cornell University
