HOPPING robots may soon find a role in the American military.
Sandia National Laboratories鈥� prototype Urban Hopper can leap 8 metres vertically to clear walls or fences. Now robot maker has been given the job of producing a military version with a bit more self-control.
The programme is funded by the US (DARPA), which says it wants the hopper for urban reconnaissance and intelligence gathering 鈥� although it admits it could also be fitted with a raft of weapons.
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Driven by an electric motor, Sandia鈥檚 shoebox-sized prototype rolls along on wheels. It jumps using a gas piston which is powered by methylacetylene and nitrous oxide. But its leaps so far are pretty haphazard. 鈥淭he existing hoppers do not maintain a stable orientation during hops, but tumble randomly,鈥� says DARPA spokesman Mark Peterson.
The next generation of hoppers should be able to jump up stairs or leap through open windows. Boston Dynamics are due to deliver the improved hopper in late 2010. Under a programme called Future Combat Systems, the Pentagon wants one third of its forces to be robotic by 2015.
