AI compressed billions of years of evolution into seconds to create 'Lego-like robots' that can recover even when they lose limbs

A black ball and socket robot walks on four limbs down a brick path with houses in the background.

Researchers have created artificial-intelligence-powered robots that can navigate all kinds of terrain autonomously and continue moving even when they're severely damaged.

Dubbed "legged metamachines," these awkward-looking bots may reveal insight into human and animal evolution and provide a path for future robots to overcome mobility limitations, the machines' creators say.