Cockroaches are notoriously indestructible. And it turns out their body shape is ideal for maneuvering through densely cluttered environments.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have modeled a new robot after the cockroach's slender shape. The discoid armor that gives the cockroach its unique look is both sturdy and versatile. In robot form, it allows for a roll maneuver to slip through narrow gaps in and between vertically oriented obstacles.

Most robots are designed with advanced sensors and communications systems aimed at helping the devices avoid obstacles, but the cockroach-inspired robot neglects these complex technologies in favor of ergonomic solutions.

"When the terrain becomes densely cluttered, especially as gaps between obstacles become comparable or even smaller than robot size, this approach starts to run into problems as a clear path cannot be mapped," lead study author Chen Li, a robotics engineer at Berkeley, said in a press release.

Researchers used high-speed cameras to observe how real life cockroaches navigated blades of grass, shrubs, leaf litter, tree trunks, and other obstacles on the jungle floor. They then tested a number of body shapes on their robot.

While a rectangle shape often got stuck, the oval shell was effective at allowing the robot to momentarily turn sideways and slip through gaps.

"We showed that our robot can traverse grass-like beam obstacles at high probability, without adding any sensory feedback or changes in motor control, thanks to the thin, rounded shell that allows the robot body to roll to reduce terrain resistance." Li said. "This is a terrestrial analogy of the streamlined shapes that reduce drag on birds, fish, airplanes and submarines as they move in fluids. We call this 'terradynamic' streamlining."

Researchers say they plan on continuing to test different animal shapes, to find designs suitable for a variety of environments.

The robotic benefits of the cockroach's armor are detailed in the latest issue of the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics.