At the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG), my projects are the few that are software only. All my other coworkers actually do work with robotics. Here is a link about fellow IRG’er, Vytas Sunspiral and Team’s research into tensegrity robots. Imagine a robot that is tightly packed in flight and unfolds just before landing and doesn’t need retrorockets or parachutes because it is a compliant structure.
I gave Vytas a lot a skepticism the first time he presented this idea. Now I am happy to eat my words.