Artificial muscles showcased by the schools are powered by a hybrid electro-hydraulic system. Along with the ability to adjust automatically to the surface they’re traversing, the legs move faster and jump higher than their more standardized electric counterparts, all without requiring additional sensors or controls.
The legs’ actuators are surprisingly simple. The teams describe them as “oil-filled plastic bags, similar to those used to make ice cubes.” Those bags are then covered in electrodes. Honestly, the whole thing sounds a bit like a school science project.