The University of Bath has unveiled the latest iteration of what may be the first robot that can both jump and roll.

PhD student Rhodri Armour’s ‘Jollbot’ could be useful for space exploration, says the university, as it is simpler than a legged design and can overcome larger obstacles than a similar sized wheeled vehicle could achieve (press release, 2005 meeting presentation).

“Others in the past have made robots that jump and robots that roll; but we’ve made the first robot that can do both,” says Armour. “Before jumping, the robot squashes its spherical shape. When it is ready, it releases the stored energy all at once to jump to heights of up to half a metre.”

Jollbot was previous announced in a 2007 paper, when Armour told PhysOrg, “For earth-bound uses, there are a variety of other possible applications that involve locomotion over random or rough terrain. Typically these would involve exploration and could occur in places such as volcanoes, caverns, mountainous regions, or more structured rough environments such as urban areas with stairs and other obstacles. Other applications could be for entertainment, such as tourist guides.”

Of course, if Jollbot does go into space it may meet some very similar things already out there…