Robot: 5 Cool Metallic Humans

Robot 'Flying Ball' 'Flying ball' use a single propeller and downstream control vanes that guide the airflow. Its designer is Sato Humiyuki and it was developed by the Technical research and Development Institute (TRDI) from commercial parts. The spherical shape has a crucial advantage over the cylindrical shape of a ducted fan, or a dome shaped flying saucer. A sphere is very robust; the exoskeleton protects the propeller and all the crucial parts. Most importantly it can regain its posture. The purpose of this robot is to explore areas which are not easily accessible by men, for example after an earthquake, after a nuclear accident. This is the world's first truly spherical flying robot. It can buzz around at up to 60 kilometers per hour [about 40 mph] or hover stably in narrow spaces like hallways. But its trick is to land by just smacking into the ground and rolling to a stop to absorb the impact.