This Video of a Hurdle-Jumping Robot is Both Amazing and Unsettling

There are a lot of ways the world could end: nuclear war, global warming, a massive asteroid, etc.

All of them possess considerable merit.

After watching this video of a hurdle-jumping robot cheetah, however, it would seem conceivable that our impending mortality could come at the hand of machines…

Robotics engineers at MIT have spent over half a decade developing this equally impressive and terrifying quadruped analog beast, whose purpose is still ambiguous. It can run as fast as a human, possesses sight, recognizes diverse terrain and adjusts movement accordingly, and can clear hurdles effortlessly.

Autonomously.

“Many other robots can move faster on wheels, or maybe jump higher, but they can’t do it on their own,” says team leader Sangbae Kim.

It’s powered by the same hardware and sensors that control drones, satellites, and missiles, which gives it the ability to exercise a wider range of intelligence than its predecessors.

Here’s hoping it won’t be able to develop emotions.