New Twist On Robot Mobility: The 'Shuffle'

The latest twist in robot mobility comes in the form of a new humanesque robot that can turn in place up to 90 degrees at a time to change direction by "SHUFFLING" its feet and rotating its hips. Robot egghead Masano Koeda of Ritsumeikan University recently demonstrated his robot -- called the Koeda shuffle (no, it's not the latest dance craze from Japan) -- which is designed to carry loads and walk around with greater mobility that your ordinary every-day Japanese robot. (props to Digital World Tokyo)