Aha!

“The idea of what Artificial Intelligence should be has evolved over the past 50 years — from solving puzzles and playing chess to emulating the abilities of a child: walking, recognizing objects. A recent conference brought together those who invent the future.” NPR broadcast.

‘Snakebot’ navigates its way round slippery problem - tech - 14 December 2007 - New Scientist Tech
A number of different research groups are developing robots that mimic real snakes. Their shape and simplicity make them ideal for crawling through pipes or exploring narrow or cluttered environments.