Autonomous solutions has developed this robot to serve as a multi-functional aid to humans in dangerous situations. It has a wide range of potential applications, such as search and rescue or explosive ordinance disposal.

The reason this particular device caught my attention is that the company that makes it was discussing how it has broken boundaries for what the robotics industry saw as “barriers” for autonomous robotics in practical applications. By thinking about the machine not as a “vehicle” but as an individual, with moving, thinking, independent parts, AS was able to mirror movements they boserved in humans and animals to give the robot the ability to not only roll, but walk, crawl, climb, and even right itself if it gets stuck or flips over. As the thin line between human and robotic abilities thins, it brings to mind questions asked by N Katherine Hales in her article on the posthuman… is robotics the future of mankind, or its potential demise? While right now we can see these examples of how robotics can aid humans and make life easier, there may come a point where we have advanced technology such as this to a point where we have made ourselves obsolete.