Today in TechIncredible Sand Flea robot can clear a 30-foot building and keep right on going
These days, robots come in all shapes and sizes: From man-sized cyborgs capable of getting you a cup of coffee to tiny bots capable of mimicking something as small as a hummingbird. A pint-sized bot called the Sand Flea by Boston Dynamics resides on the smaller end of today's bot size chart, but its ability to scale entire buildings in a single leap proves that big things do indeed come in small packages.
Like the miniscule insect that shares its name, the Sand Flea isn't particularly skilled at traversing terrain using its feet — or in this case, plastic wheels — but when it comes to jumping, there is no equal. After spotting a structure or obstacle that must be cleared, the ingenious little bot raises its front wheels and rests itself in a diagonal position. Then, a cylindrical launcher powered by carbon dioxide is unleashed, pushing the Flea high into the air, allowing it to land either on top of or past the object in question.
The applications of such a capable little electronic critter are many, and once the planned camera is implemented, uses including search and rescue and even anti-terrorism surveillance are all on the table. Still, we can't help but want to play with it ourselves. For work purposes... of course. Check out a video of the Sand Flea in action above.
This article originally appeared on Tecca
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