An analysis of why robots constructed of rigid materials fail as biomimetic systems and as embodiment for lifelike intelligence.Examines histology as materials science underpinning biomechanics. Introduces the concept of ‘material embodiment’. Demonstrates that the body is not an assembly of parts, but a single fibro-elastic continuum, that uses hyper-elastic fiber-gels to achieve low friction dynamics and energy conservation. Presents a series of engineering proposals for how to build soft bodied robots with near human tactile sensation and dynamics. Less