Roland Piquepaille writes, "Engineers from the University of Michigan have developed a snake-like robot that conquers obstacles. It is composed of 5 segments of 8-inch diameter each and weighs 26 pounds. It is currently piloted by a human operator and can maneuver in extremely rugged terrain, climbing stairs and pipes. 'It moves by rolling, log-style, or by lifting its head or tail, inchworm-like, and muscling itself forward.' The robot will be used for industrial inspection and surveillance in hazardous environments, and also for military and urban search and rescue operations." For more details and photos of the robot, see Roland's blog. See also our earlier story on a smaller snake-like robot developed by NASA.