For the most part, the scientists created the liquid in the form of small robots, which they were then able to shift between solid and liquid states to jump, climb, and – as noted above – even ...

Liquid handling workstations are commonly used ... The creator [Zach Frew] created the robot essentially from scratch using an array of 3D printers, waterjets, and CNC machines.

And depending on its configuration, it can act like either a rigid solid or a flowing liquid. The aggregate system "blurs the distinction between soft, modular, and swarm robotics," says the team.