Ben-Gurion University's wall-climbing robots scale defenses, haunt nightmares, stain faux-finishes (video)

We've seen plenty of prototype mechanisms for autonomous dealies that can scale the straightest of walls, but never have we seen so many gathered together into what can only be called a festival of disconcerting feats of robotic ingenuity. One uses magnets, one has little claws, and one uses integrated hot glue guns that would leave you with no doubt that something sticky had been exploring your walls. They were all developed by a team of engineers working with Amir Shapiro at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, where he studies biomimetrics: technology that tries to do what animals do. Applications for all this? The Israeli military is apparently quite interested, a force that we will be working extra hard to stay within the good graces of from now on.

[Scribbles Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:17AM]

The second robot uses slug technology to scale the door... watch the slime be left behind off its tracks...

[Zslap Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:33AM]

@Scribbles you can even see the hot glue guns at its back if you watch closely

[idiot Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:34AM]

@Scribbles what animal technology do magnets mimic? i didn't know magnetos (magnetoes?) existed in nature.

[Scribbles Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:37AM]

@idiot
Magnetos? was that a pokemon?

[Chromana Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:01AM]

@Scribbles Magnemite and Magneton.

[Oli D Posted Jan 19th 2010 12:45PM]

@Chromana Wow, its a party

[LaFleur Posted Jan 19th 2010 1:58PM]

@Scribbles LOL Even G. W. Bush can do better than this.

[One Love Posted Jan 19th 2010 4:55PM]

*grabs hammer*

[BrianH Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:18AM]

the first one is by far more interesting to me

[Electromodo Posted Jan 19th 2010 12:46PM]

@BrianH

I agree, the first one was most impressive. They did not mention what technology it uses... suction?

[epompeii Posted Jan 19th 2010 2:16PM]

@Electromodo
its magnetic, if you watch it again you notice it goes from a metal door to a metal panel. I agree with you guys it looks the best and makes the rest in the video look a bit lame but um who has an all metal building other than Magneto?

[MrAffrox Posted Jan 19th 2010 3:19PM]

@epompeii Because metal panels are everywhere.

[Chief2 Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:18AM]

It's biomimetics.

Hot glue guns.... hmm. Do they also have one that can do cross stitch?

[edoles Posted Jan 19th 2010 2:01PM]

@Chief2 They still have to figure out how to Bedazzle the tracks on this one.

[Zslap Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:30AM]

so...magnets and hot glue....how 22nd century

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:32AM]

does the first one work through suction cups? if so, i am totally going to try it at home.

[crapple Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:56AM]

@Wiggy Fuzz Time to bust out the Lego NXT and give it a try

[Randers Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:48AM]

"sargent...there is a spastic robot on the wall. It seems we've been inflitrated by...how do you say....hot glue."

I don't think they have jo-ann fabrics in Israel...The price of those hot glue sticks probably adds up quick.

[daqman Posted Jan 19th 2010 10:57AM]

A hot glue slug. Real slug tracks are bad enough but this thing leaves evil slime. I can't imagine the cleanup crew needed to follow behind this thing.

[cartong Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:02AM]

Spiderpig, spiderpig, does whatever a spiderpig does :d

[aphxtwn Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:12AM]

reminds me of a toy that came out not too long ago.
http://boingboing.net/2008/09/09/wallclimbing-rc-car.html

[Rocket Raccoon Posted Jan 19th 2010 1:53PM]

@aphxtwn

Yeah, I saw them at the airport one day at a kiosk. In all honesty they impressed me more than this and the technology is pretty simple.

[TravisD Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:19AM]

Cool idea, but I'm still partial to the electroadhesive climbers.

[TravisD Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:20AM]

@TravisD

Oops, forgot the link: http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/08/06/electroadhesive-robot-climbers

[Wwhat Posted Jan 19th 2010 11:48AM]

We need an anti-gravity device already, pity about that meddling thing dubbed 'laws of physics though'

[Crazy J Posted Jan 19th 2010 1:29PM]

The first thing that came to mind was that Tom Selleck movie where those spider like robots crawling up the walls... Come on, you know which movie I'm talking about!

[Wwhat Posted Jan 19th 2010 1:47PM]

@Crazy J
Didn't that have a steering bullet too? I wonder how that research is going.

[Techlifter Posted Jan 19th 2010 5:54PM]

@Crazy J I believe that was "Runaway," also starring Kirstie Alley.

[yrag Posted Jan 19th 2010 7:08PM]

These are the toys every Israeli commandos kids will be getting for their birthday.

[cosmicinglewood Posted Jan 21st 2010 5:35AM]

& I thought that trail of goo that slugs leave was a mess LOL

[spade Posted Jan 21st 2010 6:54PM]

It would be a lot cooler (and scarier) if it wasn't time lapsed