life inspired

"High-speed footage now reveals that the secret lies in the way fleas use their hind legs as multi-jointed levers. This 'lever-effect' allows fleas to drive their feet onto the ground, and the sudden release of the 'coiled spring' hurls the insect forwards and upwards, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Biology. [...] Dr Sutton, whose research was funded by the Human Frontiers Research Program, hopes ultimately to design robots that can jump as high as the insects."

News article @ BBC News