US scientists have created a tiny robot that can change between exoskeletons

A tiny robot is able to transform its form and function by putting on different exoskeletons to allow it to perform a variety of different tasks, from walking to rolling, and from sailing to even flying.

Named "Primer" by the team at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the cube-shaped robot can be controlled via magnets to 'wear' exoskeletons which start out as sheets of plastic and change shape when heated up.

The origami-inspired exoskeletons fold around Primer and give it new abilities.

Wheel-bot has wheels that allow it to move twice as fast as Walk-bot, while Boat-bot can float on water and carry nearly twice its weight.

Glider-bot can soar across longer distances, which could be useful for deploying robots or switching environments.

After Primer finishes its task, it can shed its "skin" by immersing itself in water, which dissolves the exoskeleton.

Primer can even wear multiple outfits at once, like a Russian nesting doll.

It can add one exoskeleton to become "Walk-bot," and then interface with another larger one that allows it to carry objects and move two body lengths per second.

The team said they could imagine future space missions where a single robot with a stack of exoskeletons could then perform different tasks by wearing its different 'outfits'.

While robots that can change their form or function have been developed in larger sizes, it's generally been difficult to build such structures at much smaller scales.

Designed in a matter of hours, the exoskeletons fold into shape after being heated for just a few seconds, suggesting a new approach to rapid fabrication of robots.

As a next step the team plans to explore giving the robots an even wider range of capabilities, from driving through water and burrowing in sand to camouflaging their colour.

Produced by Jasper Pickering. Special thanks to Leon Siciliano.

Join the conversation about this story »