Artist’s depiction of Shapeshifter and its various components, which will help researchers investigate Saturn’s moon Titan.
(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Marilynn Flynn)

Mini robots that can roll, fly, float, swim, and even come together to morph into a single machine, may seem like something straight out of a science fiction movie. However, if a team of NASA scientists has its way, the self-assembling Shapeshifter may soon be exploring treacherous distant worlds in search of alien life.