https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/05/cmus-robotic-arm-attaches-to-a-backpack-to-lend-a-helping-hand/

Carnegie Mellon’s Biorobotics Lab is probably best known as the birthplace of the modular snake robot. Initially designed to squeeze into tight spots for search and rescue missions and infrastructure inspections, the lab’s snake robot has given rise to an army of different projects, and at least one Pittsburgh-area startup.

Several years ago, the robot became modular, allowing engineers to mix and match pieces and replace malfunctioning segments. From those modules, the team of CMU students have built a wide range of different projects, including a spider-like hexapod robot, whose six limbs are constructed from robotic segments. We also spent time with Hebi, whose modular robotic actuators commercialized versions of the lab’s research.