Dr Yonas Tegegn of Ethiopia developed Robot that moves like a jellyfish and runs on water, reports Time. In the investigation, he led group of researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas and Virginia Tech. The robot, named Robojelly moves like a jellyfish by expanding and contracting its synthetic muscles to pump out water. The most impressive thing about it, however, is how it powers itself — by converting the hydrogen and oxygen naturally found in water into heat. The idea is that these artificial jellyfish could basically swim around indefinitely, performing surveillance for the military or monitoring the ocean for pollutants, reports Time.

The Robojelly is made out of two “bells” composed of silicone and connected by “muscles” made out of platinum-coated carbon nanotubes filled with nickel-titanium alloy. Heat and water vapor are created once the oxygen and hydrogen hit the platinum.

“We’ve created an underwater robot that doesn’t need batteries or electricity,” said Dr. Yonas Tadesse lead author of the study. “The only waste released as it travels is more water.”

Born, raised and school in Harar, Dr. Yonas completed his first degree in Addis Ababa University in 2000; M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in 2005; M.Sc in Mevchanical Engineering from University of Texas Arlington in 2007 and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor at Unversity of Texas, Dallas.