* Photo: Boston Dynamics * In January 2006, senior editor Robert Capps presented the 50 best robots ever. Can we make that 54? In the past two years, these upstarts have maneuvered their way into our geeky little hearts.
BigDog
Like all the best bots, it's kind of creepy. Thanks to a $24 million injection from Darpa, this quadruped can carry a 340-pound load over rubble and ice, hop across crevices, and even regain its balance after a swift kick in the ass.
Robo-Rat
This little animat (part animal, part robot) drives with its "brain" — 300,000 rat neurons sitting on a bed of electrodes. When sensors locate obstacles, the neurons beam instructions to the wheels via Bluetooth. Hard left! Hard left!
Jarvis and Dummy
It's not really ideal for your tools to talk smack and blast you with foam. But Iron Man minus his ultra-amenable worker-bot and quick-witted AI assistant would be just another billionaire playboy in a power suit.
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