Robot That Hops Over Obstacles is in the News

There have been many posts on this hopping robot all over the blogosphere this week.  I finally decided to put the story on RobotNext in order to add my comments to the discussion.   So far, most of what I have seen on this bot has been about its military applications.  However, it really seems well suited to search and rescue operations.  With its ability to jump over objects and onto balconies or roofs of buildings, it could be a boost to first responders to an emergency.  This robot could hop onto the second story balcony of a burning building and provide up close surveillance of the situation.  Perhaps, it could even carry a fire hose with it to put water on a fire that firefighters could not reach.  Check out the story at the link below.

hopper-midair-dr

PHOTO: SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

During normal travel, an electric motor powers the wheels. But when needed, the robot can engage a hopping mechanism and leap over 25 feet in the air to clear an obstacle (as the video posted by Sharon demonstrated earlier this week) . It may look strange, but its unique capability might give the Hopper an important role in urban warfare.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have been working on hopping robots which, much like grasshoppers or fleas, can leap over obstacles several times taller than themselves.

Precision Hopper = New Urban Commando
David Hambling
Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:44 GMT

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