New Cannibalistic Robots Consume Other Machines to Grow and Heal on Their Own

Learn how “robot metabolism” allows machines to take material from their surroundings to “grow” and to “heal."

By Sam Walters
Jul 17, 2025 3:00 PM
Truss Links Robot Metabolism
These Truss Links self-assemble to form a tetrahedron. (Image Credit: Creative Machines Lab)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

There’s still a long list of things that separate robots and living beings, but a new study suggests that the list has become just a bit shorter. Developing robots that “grow,” “heal,” and adapt their bodies to their surroundings, researchers from Columbia University have demonstrated that robots can become bigger and better by “consuming” other robots — a process that’s a lot like the metabolism in a living being.

This “robot metabolism,” described in a paper published today in Science Advances, allows a robot to integrate the material of other machines into its body, representing an important step towards making robots more resilient and self-sufficient.

“True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves,” said Philippe Martin Wyder, a study author and a researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington, in a press release. “Just as biological life absorbs and integrates resources, these robots grow, adapt, and repair using materials from their environment or from other robots.”


0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group