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RHex robot uses leaping ability to do 'Parkour' (video)

It's easy for a robot to perform in a sterile lab environment, but only a select few devices -- like Boston Dynamics notorious AlphaDog -- have proven themselves in the wild. However, the University of Pennsylvania's X-RHex Lite has also made that leap, as it were, and a new video shows just how talented it's become. In it, the droid puts all of its running, jumping and grabbing talents together to perform flips, chin-ups and even Parkour-like moves over campus obstacles. The researchers hope it'll perform rescue missions or research in tough environments one day, but until then, gaze in awe at the video after the break.