25 best real robots

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NASA Curiosity rover

The little robot that could, Curiosity is currently trundling about on the surface of Mars following a descent that was described by NASA as "seven minutes of terror." Initially sending back Instagram-esque snaps of the Red Planet, Curiosity's since upped its game with some truly breathtaking HD panoramas. NASA's rover has done us proud.

MorpHex

Frankly, MorpHex's transformation from rolling sphere to hexapod spider-bot scares the bejeezus out of us. But it's undeniably impressive, looking like an unused design from Portal 2.

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iRobot Roomba

Since its launch in 2002, Roomba's become the definitive robot vacuum cleaner – iRobot had better be careful, or people will start talking about "Roombaing" in the same way they do about "Hoovering." Spinning brushes and clever sensors mean it won't get stuck, and it also makes an excellent transport for cats. In the interests of fairness, check out our 5 of the best robot vacuums.

Boston Dynamics BigDog

When James Cameron depicted the war against the machines in Terminator, he neglected to show the hunter-killer death robots hopping like they urgently needed the toilet. Still, DARPA's BigDog – which looks more like a decapitated goat – has a reason for its unusual gait; it's able to hop along at 4mph and climb slopes up to 35 degrees.
It's intended to carry munitions for soldiers, but we reckon it'd be equally effective at simply freaking the enemy out.

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Husqvarna Automower Solar Hybrid

This lawnmower robot will keep your bowling green neatly clipped at all times (what d'you mean, you don't have one?). It'll putter about over half an acre trimming back the grass, and because it's solar powered it keeps your garden green in all senses of the word. At US3000, a clean conscience doesn't come cheap, though.

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