A University of Leeds researcher has drawn inspiration from biology to build a giant robotic worm that can wiggle its way around obstacles.

The super-sized 'worm-bot' is modelled on the C. elegans nematode, a tiny free-living worm that uses an ultra-simple nervous system to control the way that it moves.

Its designer, Dr Jordan Boyle, is hopeful that in future, the worm-bot could be used by search and rescue crews to send heat-seeking equipment into collapsed buildings or deliver aid to trapped survivors.

"A future version of this robot could potentially navigate through irregular gaps and holes in buildings that had been damaged by fire, explosions or earthquakes," said engineering research fellow Dr Boyle, who carried out the work at the University's Schools of Computing and Mechanical Engineering.

"Given the correct 'skin', the next version of this robot should also be able to deal with different environments. For example, it should be able to swim through water or crawl through snow or mud, even if it has to weave its way between natural obstacles, such as boulders or trees," he said.