The octobot: More of a tribute than a replica
Jonathan Rossiter, who runs the soft robotics group at the Bristol Robotics Lab, said the Harvard team had achieved something unique.
Researchers around the world, he said, have been working on the various components of an entirely soft robot: inflatable "muscles", fuel cells, soft sensors and control systems.
"One thing that's been missing so far has been putting them all together," Prof Rossiter told the BBC, adding that the octobot would be a springboard for others in the field.
"It's made in a really nice way. It's made in a way that other people can look at and say, we could use these technologies ourselves - we can make ones that have better fuel systems, or have better control systems, or a more sophisticated body.
"This is a good demonstration of bringing everything together. That's not easy, and they've done a good job.