It can actually soar up to 30 feet above the ground

Mar 30, 2012 07:25 GMT  ·  By

A recent video by Boston Dynamics, uploaded to YouTube, showcases the Sand Flea, a robotic RC car that has a special talent. When it has to, the 11-pound (5-kilogram) vehicle can jump as high as 30 feet (9.1 meters) into the air.

This enables it to clear very high obstacles, given the robot's own size. It represents an improvement on a previous technology called the Precision Urban Hopper. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) had a hand in its funding.

One of the most interesting aspects of this vehicle is its onboard stabilization system. This provides controllers with the ability to keep the vehicle leveled during jumps, but also enables them to downlink images collected from cameras as the robot is airborne.

Given its solid construction, the Sand Flea is unaffected by the harsh landings. Experts with the US Army expect to use the machine for surveillance and other military applications.