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Walk this WayThe bugged out eyes are just for looks. What this Cornell robot is famous for is consuming an amount of energy while walking that is comparable to a strolling human of equal weight. It's the first robot of its kind to walk in a human-like fashion and make that claim and may help scientists better understand the biomechanics of the human stride.
Roach RobotThis is one makes the list on its creep factor. Builder Noah Cowan at Johns Hopkins University drew inspiration from real cockroaches. Most robotic vehicles rely on cameras or sonar to navigate. Neither method works every time. This autocritter uses a wiggly cockroach-like antenna to feel its way around, mimicking the behavior of the bug.
Solar SubRobots don't all have to be humanoids. This promising solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (SAUV) is a prototype designed to monitor the health of a lake or river. It's being tested at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
SnakebotResearchers at the University of Michigan call their robot OmniTread. We call it the Snakebot. More 80 percent of its body is covered with moving treads to tackle rough terrain. It can also roll like a log or lift its head like an inchworm. The 9-inch bot can climb an 18-inch curb.
Tripping on PurposeIf a robot falls over on another planet, with no one there to pick it up, the outcome is obvious. But not with TETwalker, a NASA robot that's shaped like a tetrahedron. It moves by changing the length of its telescoping struts, which shift its center of gravity and make it fall over on purpose.
RoboclimberNo adjustment of your monitor is necessary. But feel free to lean over for a better look at this real-world robot. Weighing at more than four tons, Roboclimber scales a cliff by drilling into it to stabilize each step. It's designed to prevent landslides, courtesy of Europe's space program.
