Army to test wall-scaling robot in Afghanistan

U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the near future might be able to use a robot that can leap over high walls to explore inside compounds and provide views through its built-in camera of possible threats that might lie inside, reports Defense News.

The Sand Flea, the product of a partnership between Boston Dynamics and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, can leap up to 24 feet and land on its wheels inside the compound. At that point, a soldier can remotely drive the robot around the compound to allow its camera to get various views of the interior.

The Army's Rapid Equipping Force plans to send two Sand Fleas to Afghanistan this winter to be tested.