So scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., are developing a new breed of robot. About the size of a grapefruit, these move by hopping. Soon, hoppers may be heading through dangerous terrain for the military, bouncing over boulders on Mars or providing the core for some really cool new toys. Power Of The Piston Hopping is a wasteful way to travel, Speltzer said. Unlike a wheeled robot, every time a hopper crashes to the ground it needs to restart its engine.
Wheels are much more efficient.
The hopper's internal combustion engine plunges a piston into the ground, propelling it up and away. Upon landing, the bottom-heavy hopper rights itself, points itself in the right direction using an internal compass, and hops again. Sandia's hoppers so far direct themselves, but Speltzer said they're thinking about a joystick-controlled hopper. The little hopper can carry a camera, but future models may handle much more. So you can now, instead of putting a camera on board, you can put some real sensors on board.