This tiny little robot weighs only 7 grams and can jump 1.4 meters (3.3 feet) straight up into the air. That is 27 times its own height. Here is a video clip of the robotic grasshopper in action:

These jumpers could be fitted out with tiny sensors to explore rough, inaccessible terrain or to aid in search and rescue operations.

“This biomimetic form of jumping is unique because it allows micro-robots to travel over many types of rough terrain where no other walking or wheeled robot could go,” explains EPFL Professor Dario Floreano.

“These tiny jumping robots could be fitted with solar cells to recharge between jumps and deployed in swarms for extended exploration of remote areas on Earth or on other planets.”

Read more about the robot grasshopper over at EPFL.

(Live Science via BotJunkie via Prylfeber)