Researchers at the University of Bristol are developing Ecobot, an eco-friendly robot that decomposes once its mission is completed. Dr. Jonathan Rossiter, a senior lecturer in the University’s engineering mathematics department, received two years’ worth of funding (£200,000) to create a toxin-free robot.

Traditional robots are made of rigid resilient materials, which are mostly non-biodegradable and toxic — and those substances have a negative impact on the environment. Robots at the end of their operating lives then need to be tracked down and carefully dismantled. The recovery process limits the number of robots that can be deployed at once.