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    Boston Dynamics' Sand Flea robot can jump 30ft into the air

    Boston Dynamics' Sand Flea robot can jump 30ft into the air

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    Boston Dynamics' new 11-pound Sand Flea robot can jump up to 30 feet into the air from a standing start, all while transmitting video back to its operator.

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    Boston Dynamics has developed a robot capable of jumping up to 30ft from a standstill, with enough accuracy to travel through a second-story window. The 11-pound robot uses a Carbon Dioxide-powered piston to drive itself into the air, with wheels larger than its chassis which means that it can always keep going once it lands. It can achieve 25 of these jumps before requiring a refill of gas, and travel up to 650 yards from its operator while streaming back video.

    The Sand Flea is intended for use by the military in Afghanistan, with its ability to jump a wall, provide reconnaissance and then leap back again invaluable for judging the safety of an area. In the video below, Boston Dynamics shows the Sand Flea rearing up before launching itself at incredible speed. This accuracy is designed to make the footage it captures as stable as possible in order to make as much of it as usable as can be. This is further aided by a gyroscopic stabilization sytem which helps it keep steady in flight.