Robot that can jump twenty-five feet in the air coming to the US military

Boston Dynamics -- which previously made a robot called the BigDog -- has been enlisted by Sandia National Laboratories (a US government-funded lab) and DARPA to make a new, hopping robot. Called the Precision Urban Hopper, the robot's goal will be to be capable of jumping over large obstacles in city combat situations. It will boast one extremely tough leg to assist it, in addition to its four wheels. The Hopper is supposedly going to be able to jump 25 feet in the air once completed. So far, only a very small prototype (pictured above) is finished, but Boston Dynamics is due to present its next model sometime during 2010.

[Bonedoggie @ May 8th 2009 10:37AM]

This will be a nice addition to the Skynet Team. Go Skynet, go!

[Duke @ May 8th 2009 10:25AM]

This sounds horrifying.

[Ryan @ May 8th 2009 10:52AM]

But I can't wait to see the spoof video for it...

[NeoJew @ May 8th 2009 11:23AM]

Yahr, 25 feet is really fucking high.

[jdmbo1 @ May 8th 2009 11:34AM]

Damn these illegal border jumping robots taking the jobs of hardworking American robots.

[Amrosorma @ May 8th 2009 10:25AM]

Haven't they played MGS4?

[Mike @ May 8th 2009 10:40AM]

oh noes! the GECKO's!

[Mic2000 @ May 8th 2009 10:45AM]

Same thought!

[aaronaaron @ May 8th 2009 10:49AM]

@ Amrosorma | That was the 1st thing that popped into my head. MGS4 anyone?

[aaronaaron @ May 8th 2009 10:54AM]

Yeah, that was the 1st thing that came into my head. Mgs4?
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8049/gekkoa.jpg

[B3astofthe3ast @ May 8th 2009 11:57AM]

So in that case, all we need in ninja cyborg Raiden to save us from their oppression!

[Dave Chappelle @ May 8th 2009 12:37PM]

Kojima to be payed royalties. more jobs going overseas, thanks Obama.

lol jokes. except the distrust towards that Obama guy.

[deedeedee @ May 10th 2009 10:21PM]

its okay, a simple m4 rifle can take care of them pretty good in matter of seconds, just remember to shoot their knee 1st then their head, and if they come too close just pretend you are a watermelon and they'll go right pass...

[random @ May 8th 2009 10:27AM]

cool, but kinda pointless if you have a helicopter like CMU's one

[Hung @ May 8th 2009 10:55AM]

Yeah, I noticed that too.

[kash @ May 8th 2009 10:29AM]

Hey, that's no robot! That's Eddie Van Halen!

[Ad @ May 14th 2009 7:33AM]

According to Engadget it's a 'very small prototype' of Eddie Van Halen!

[Idlemind @ May 8th 2009 10:30AM]

Pictured above is a Rocker turned drug-addict, turned NYC EMT, turned ???

[RawDR @ May 8th 2009 10:41AM]

... ROBOT!

[tha-don @ May 8th 2009 10:41AM]

turned hopping robot...clearly.

[Idlemind @ May 8th 2009 10:31AM]

oh wait... that was David Lee Roth... lol

[macgregger @ May 8th 2009 11:02AM]

wrong. that's eddie van halen.

[Idlemind @ May 8th 2009 11:12AM]

do some more reading above....

[Timmy @ May 8th 2009 12:27PM]

I dont think David Lee Roth would know what to do with a Geetar if his music career depended on it.

[macgregger @ May 8th 2009 2:39PM]

timmy, you couldn't be any more wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqox8Ahfaok

[skyblaze @ May 8th 2009 10:33AM]

very small prototype ftw

[Zarfus21 @ May 8th 2009 10:52AM]

One tough leg ftw.

[Pfanne @ May 8th 2009 11:02AM]

thats what she said

[Brad, The @ May 8th 2009 10:33AM]

I'm not worried. Alex and Gordon never had any problems with d0g, and I'm sure our military has the same principles in mind.

In an unrelated development, did I really finish this whole bottle already?

[Phoenix @ May 8th 2009 12:19PM]

it's Alyx.

Have you even PLAYED the games you're talking about?

[ED @ May 9th 2009 5:28AM]

Watch out for those hoppers!

[BigTeebo @ May 8th 2009 10:38AM]

New agency intel headed your way agent!

/obscure?

[tony @ May 8th 2009 10:39AM]

as long as it can land on 2 feet or 4 or wtever

[Idlemind @ May 8th 2009 10:42AM]

Thats the part they are still working on I bet....

[Templarian @ May 8th 2009 11:04AM]

I picture it launching 25 feet in the air and hitting the ground in a pile of broken metal.

Mini Helicopters ftw.

[Randal_Coc @ May 11th 2009 3:43AM]

Jumping about during gunfights... and general war situations sounds like a very Imprecise way to go about... especially since you're never REALLY sure where.. but mainly WHAT you gonna land on...

[Liander @ May 8th 2009 10:59AM]

An eruption of technology

[George Kabanov @ May 9th 2009 9:55AM]

ha! i just got that. clever...van halen eruption

[echoelman @ May 8th 2009 10:55AM]

"Wait, did you hear that?!"

"What was that noise?!"

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Sam @ May 8th 2009 11:02AM]

Is there any use in jumping 25ft straight up, or am i guess it can jump over something 25ft tall?

[Ad @ May 14th 2009 7:36AM]

Straight up may be useful in matador situations but otherwise I guess it's jumping over stuff.

[darkmax @ May 8th 2009 11:03AM]

May be they are trying out the Hulk Jump..... one leap across a considerable fraction of a desert's width

[Invisible @ May 8th 2009 11:13AM]

What about landing?

[Bobsley @ May 8th 2009 9:36PM]

An umbrella.

[George Kabanov @ May 8th 2009 11:16AM]

dog from HL2 gets my vote...he'd pwn the military 'dog' turned bull thing AND this eddie van halen robot

[crescentdavid @ May 8th 2009 11:20AM]

never underestimate the power of a no-bid, speculative, military contract. Sweet, sweet $$$$$$.

[Dustin @ May 8th 2009 11:29AM]

GA-KOs from MGS4 anyone?

[matthewanziulewidz @ May 8th 2009 11:32AM]

Sounds like Speed Racer's Mach 5.

[jake @ May 8th 2009 11:42AM]

Bill S. Preston, Esq.:
While I agree that in time our band will be most triumphant. The truth is Wyld Stallions will never be a super band until we get Eddie Van Halen on guitar.
Ted "Theodore" Logan:
Yes, Bill. But, I do not believe we will get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video.
Bill S. Preston, Esq.:
Ted, it's pointless to have a triumphant video before we even have descent instruments.
Ted "Theodore" Logan:
Well, how can we have descent instruments when we don't really even know how to play?
Bill S. Preston, Esq.:
That is why we need Eddie Van Halen!
Ted "Theodore" Logan:
And, that is why we need a triumphant video!

[simon @ May 8th 2009 12:57PM]

might as well jump