Tubular robot can grow a lot

(CNN) - Engineers at Stanford University and the University of California have created a worm-like robot that can grow 25,000 times its size.

Researchers say this could be used for helping with search and rescue efforts, as well as medical devices.

The robot is a tube of soft material folded inside itself, like an inside-out sock. It grows when material inside the tube turns outward.

A number of prototypes have been built, and more work needs to be done with the robot.

Information on the device is posted in the journal Science Robotics.

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