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Air Hopper Adds Final Destructive Dimension to Robotic Mobility

by Warren Riddle on September 16, 2010 at 08:20 AM

airhopperSuch an unlikely event may seem inconceivable, but the Tokyo Institute of Technology appears determined to overthrow the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as robotic royalty. Almost one year ago to the day, DARPA promised the world a leaping robot capable of hurling itself over lofty structures as tall as 25 feet. While observers eagerly await the official debut of the high-flying Precision Urban Hopper, the Tokyo Tech folks are already launching their own Air Hopper.

Equipped with four legs and pneumatic cylinders, the Japanese Hopper reportedly walks, traverses obstacles and leaps. The DARPA folks are probably snickering at those "leaping" capabilities, though, because the Eastern Hopper can currently only launch itself approximately 1 vertical foot and 2 horizontal feet.

With robots now capable of climbing, leaping, flying, swimming, devouring, deceiving and hiding, the end of humanity seems increasingly imminent. So, Comedy Central, it's imperative that you bring back the most paramount piece of programming in your repertoire: BattleBots. If the human overlords wish to once again reassert their dominance, then it's time to let these terrifying creations kill each other off -- before it's too late.

Tags: air hopper, AirHopper, darpa, leaping robot, LeapingRobot, Precision Urban Hopper, PrecisionUrbanHopper, robot apocalypse, RobotApocalypse, robotics, Robots, tokyo institute of technology, TokyoInstituteOfTechnology, top

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