Researchers have created a new variable-stiffness morphing wheel that can not only roll over giant stones and other rough terrain, but they can even climb stairs. The wheels adjust stiffness in real time and could soon find themselves in a wide range of applications, from wheelchairs to mobile robots.

Developed by the Advanced Robotics Research Center of the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials’ Research Institute of AI Robotics, the wheels are inspired by the surface tension of a drop of liquid.

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