Buckminster Fuller would be proud of NASA's new experimental robot design. It's based on the structural principle that Fuller called tensegrity (tensional integrity) where the structure comes from compressed rods and flexible connections. NASA calls their prototype the Super Ball Bot for its ability to bounce on landing and shift its shape via multiple small motors to roll across a surface. IEEE Spectrum's video about the project is below. More information at NASA's page here and in this Wired Design article.
And just for kicks, here's a recent Buckminster Fuller tribute I wrote for LIFE.
