For every practical application of robotics, there's one that's not quite as useful. For every cyber-fish that can swim forever for research, there is an equal and opposite quivering space jellyfish that doesn't do anything. Apparently. This falls into that second category.
This project, brain-child of Professor Yoichiro Kawaguchi of the University of Tokyo, seems to have no real purpose aside from pure robotic weirdness, and it looks like it will be able to tackle that challenge quite well. So if you've ever wondered what a space jellyfish might look like, Japan has got you covered. And if not, Japan has still got you covered if you change your mind. [DigInfo]