Members of Mr Lawton's club, Sandbach Striders Running Club, have flown out to Greece to join in the search.

BBC: Missing runner John Lawton: Search continues

The robot is designed to mimic the Gerridae family of bugs, which are more commonly knows as water striders.

FORBES: A Robot That Walks On Water

She also ran for local club Cybi Striders on Anglesey.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | North West Wales | Island backs runner's dream

Pan notes that real water striders actually leap.

ENGADGET: Chinese microbot walks on water, skims the surface of insect-inspired design

Using porous, super water-repellant nickel foam to fabricate the three supporting and two jumping legs, the group made a robot that could leap more than 5.5 inches, despite weighing as much as 1, 100 water striders.

ENGADGET: Chinese microbot walks on water, skims the surface of insect-inspired design