Israel has earned itself an enviable reputation in the field of high-tech startups.
In Amir Shapiro's lab at Ben-Gurion University in the Israeli city of Beersheba, a new creature is squirming on the floor, but it is not organic.
Shaped like a snake, the robot is demonstrating the range of its flexibility, which can be used to assess damage under collapsed buildings.
Mr Shapiro's robots are mostly funded by and destined for the Israeli Army.
The robots perform a range of tasks, from carrying heavy loads to climbing stairs. There is even one designed to detect bombs hidden on ships.