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Technology/Robotics Scientists have developed an octopus-like robot, which can zoom through water with ultra-fast propulsion and acceleration never before seen in man-made underwater vehicles. Most fast aquatic animals are sleek and slender to help them move easily through the water but cephalopods, such as the octopus, are capable of high-speed escapes by filling their bodies with water and then quickly expelling it to dart away.

Follow the link to PLoS and watch the video.

the link to the videos : http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0058509#ack

Octopus and optoelectronics camouflage, light bugs and LEDs, or spider webs and touch screens, ... a whole cool bunch of biomimetic stuff

See also the referred work "Light-extraction enhancement for light-emitting diodes: a firefly-inspired structure refined by the genetic algorithm" - quite cool! https://pure.fundp.ac.be/portal/files/11946897/paper89.pdf

Soft Robots Scientists from Cornell University and the Italian Technology Institute in Pontedera have developed an elastic robotic skin that is able to stretch up to five times its size, change colors, and even detect pressure. The luminescent skin, partly funded by the Army and Air Force's research wings, is comprised of different kinds of specialized silicone, making it flexible and soft.

related video here: http://imgur.com/gallery/q57U40Y