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Boffins invent bouncing robot

by on16 September 2009

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Able to leap tall fences in a single bound


A team
of boffins has built a military robot which can leap over obstacles more than 7.5m high.

During most of its life the Precision Urban Hopper scoots around on four wheels but if it wants too it can can use a piston-actuated "leg" to launch it over obstacles such as walls or fences. The shoebox sized robot will be used to boost the capabilities of troops and special forces engaged in urban warfare, say researchers.

Sandia National Laboratories has been awarded the contract to build the next generation of the hopper to Massachusetts-based robotics firm Boston Dynamics. Researchers at Sandia have tried out the robot on a variety of different surfaces. The robot is semi-autonomous and guided by GPS gadget could be used for surveillance in urban environments.

The plan is to use it by 2010. (To do what? Get cats out of trees? sub.ed.)
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