HOPPING robots may soon find a role in the American military.
Sandia National Laboratories’ prototype Urban Hopper can leap 8 metres vertically to clear walls or fences. Now robot maker Boston Dynamics has been given the job of producing a military version with a bit more self-control.
The programme is funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which says it wants the hopper for urban reconnaissance and intelligence gathering – although it admits it could also be fitted with a raft of weapons.
Driven by an electric motor, Sandia’s shoebox-sized prototype rolls along on wheels. It jumps using…
