Chinese researchers develop 3D-printed soft robot for pipe inspection

TIANJIN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- A white piece of equipment was "climbing" along a round tube. With its body stretching and contracting like an inchworm, it moved forward smoothly and even passed a 90-degree angle.

The equipment is a one-piece 3D-printed pipe-climbing robot composed of sequenced novel soft bending mechanisms, which was recently developed by professor Zuo Siyang and Dr. Liu Jianbin's research team at Tianjin University in north China's Tianjin Municipality.