Peking University

Using arms to swim, crawl, sort, and grip, the Octopus-Inspired Upward Transport Robot (OUT-Robot) employs an inflatable “head” for zero-energy underwater ascent. It could offer a significant boost for oceanic exploration and resource extraction.

Lampreys can stick to speeding sharks, so you'd think they could teach us a thing or two about suction. It turns out that they can indeed, as scientists have developed a lamprey-inspired suction cup that can lift over 800 times its own weight.

Divers may soon be able to get a welcome boost to their flutter kicks thanks to an exoskeleton developed by researchers at Peking University. By shouldering some of the burden of underwater swimming, the device could also make scuba tanks last longer.