MAB Robotics Tuesday showed off the latest trick from its Honey Badger robot. In a video, the quadruped is running along the bottom of a pool. Legs don't generally make more sense than propellers or other more standard methods of underwater robot locomotion, but the video demonstrates a sense of robustness and dynamism not often seen in such sophisticated systems.

One of the Polish firm's applications for a land-dwelling robot that doesn't mind if it gets wet is search and rescue.
 "It has been fascinating to develop locomotion systems capable of navigating the challenges of underwater terrain," MAB cofounder and CEO Jakub Bartoszek says in a LinkedIn post. "I am excited about the potential impact this work could have on inspection and maintenance services in flooded areas.".

Search and rescue has emerged as one of the significant applications for autonomous robot systems -- saving humans from having to make the trip into dangerous areas following natural or human-made disasters.