Springtails execute their amazing jumps via a tail-like, spring-loaded appendage ... an existing 4.4-cm (1.7-inch)-long insect-inspired robot known as the HAMR. Its name an acronym for Harvard ...

In a recent study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, researchers explored the biomechanics of different tails, and considered how a better tail could help build a better robot.

Now, HAMR is outfitted with a robotic furcula -- the forked, tail-like appendage tucked under a springtail's body that it pushes off the ground to send it Simone Biles-ing into the air.