Air-driven robotic legs hop, skip and jump

Though we've certainly seen robotic legs that like to get their jump on, a team of researchers at the University of Tokyo have assembled a new two-legged creature that can actually spring up about 50-centimeters on its own -- and land gracefully. The creation is part of a larger project aimed at creating humanoids with cat-like (or just human-like, really) reflexes that can better assist the elderly when used as caregivers. Moreover, this hopper relies on air-driven artificial muscles rather than electric motors, and while we're not sure it could hang with Ronaldinho, it can boot a fútbol when asked.

[DickHardknocks @ Sep 28th 2007 10:46AM]

METAL GEAR GEKKO

The Japanese are not gonna quit till they develop killer robotic overlords who can jump 50 feet in the air and land on unsuspecting citizens.

[Larz @ Sep 28th 2007 3:04PM]

True, it's just one step closer to world domination.

Today: fetch the paper for an elderly person.
Tomorrow: take over the world!

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 10:52AM]

Finally, I've always wanted to jump like a frog.

[Rainier @ Sep 28th 2007 10:54AM]

"I came to get down, I came to get down, so get out your seats and jump around..."

Jump!
Jump!
Jump!
Jump!

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 10:56AM]

It gives "Kriss Kross will make ya JUMP! JUMP!" another meaning, doesn't it?

[Rainier @ Sep 28th 2007 11:03AM]

Heh, actually I was quoting from "Jump Around" by House of Pain. The song came to mind when reading this article - especially with that pic. :)

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 11:09AM]

AH! That's right! I remember now. The early 90s are just being mixed in my mind. What will be next for me? Putting a Sega Genesis game inside an SNES?

[Dave @ Sep 28th 2007 10:56AM]

"The creation is part of a larger project aimed at creating humanoids with cat-like (or just human-like, really) reflexes that can better assist the elderly when used as caregivers."

The idea of elderly cyborgs is, frankly, frightening.

[Darkest Daze @ Sep 28th 2007 4:56PM]

What scares me is that the elderly need robots that can jump multiple feet in the air just to take care of them.

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 10:59AM]

First Xenogears, then Evangelion and now this!! AHH! They're going to conquer the world! It's not that bad I guess. I always wanted to convert to Japanese.

[Homeboy @ Sep 28th 2007 11:01AM]

As long as it can't be taught how to do a Master Chief melee attack I'm happy.

On the other hand, can it play street basket?

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 11:06AM]

That would be awesome! It would be like NBA JAMS with the Game Genie codes on.

[Dylan @ Sep 28th 2007 11:13AM]

WTF, they stole that from Metal Gear Solid 4...

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 11:17AM]

It seems like they did; it seems like they did. Isn't the game made in Japan though?

[octoberasian @ Sep 28th 2007 11:21AM]

Nothing to worry about, right? >.>

Yeah, it's just to assist the elderly, nothing more...

Yeah...

... Wait until ten, twenty years from now and the Japanese develop something remotely similar to Metal Gear Ray.

That's when we start to panic. Not some elderly able to do a slam dunk from 10 or 20 meters away.

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 11:23AM]

The Nintendo R.O.B. was better.

[Yoshi @ Sep 28th 2007 3:44PM]

It is always the trouble of the Japanese.
In one hand they produced strongest swards
in the human history, best fighter then Zero
and if the German U-Boat who carried uranium
to Japan hadn't been intercepted, they could
have produced Atom-bomb before America.
On the other hand, they never able to have
a statesman, politician who is good enough
to use its technology for humanity.

[Sirocco @ Sep 28th 2007 5:45PM]

Sure, but can it boogie?

[Gihan @ Sep 28th 2007 6:32PM]

Ok, its official...humankind is fucked.