This Amphibious Robot Snake Will Come After You In The Pool

By Brent McKnight | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Remember the first time you watched Jaws, and you subsequently refused to go swimming for the entire summer that followed? Well, this video of a robotic swimming snake is likely to have a similar impact on many of you. It’s both amazing and horrifying at the same time. Take a look for yourself, and we’ll discuss our impending aquatic doom further on down the page.

This is the HiBot ACM-R5 going for a skinny dip in a Hollywood pool. I also find this way more terrifying than either an actual poo bobbing around in the pool, or that Baby Ruth floating around the country club pool in Caddyshack.

Whatever the potential practical applications of this may be, I have one idea that could be a lot of fun. First you’ll need to move into a place with a swimming pool. Actually, that’s the second thing. First you’ll need to get your hands on one of these wriggling little bad boys. Then you invite some friends over for a quick swim in your sweet-ass pool. While everyone is splashing around, having a grand old time, you nonchalantly slip your new friend, the ACM-R5, into the water. When it starts flopping and squirming all around, see how fast your friends leap out of the water. That’ll be a good time for everyone, or at least for you. Depending on how sensitive they are, you may have fewer friends come the next morning.

The way this amphibious robot moves in the water is mesmerizing. Its motion is designed to mimic a snake, both on land and in water. Here’s another video of this addition to the robotic opposition, one that gives you a close-up look at a non-moving example.