Eight-legged robot modeled after cartwheeling flic-flac spider can curl up into a ball and chase you

A German technology company has built a robotic spider that looks like the stuff of nightmares. Called the BionicWheelBot, the robo-spider is outfitted with eight terrifyingly spindly legs that allow it to walk, run and transform into a rolling wheel that can chase after you at alarming speeds. Scientists from Festo modeled the somersaulting robot after the real-life flic-flac spider, which is known for its unusual movements. The flic-flac spider is found in the Moroccan desert and can walk like other spiders. But it also has the eye-popping ability to propel itself into the air by rolling and cartwheeling through the air, usually as a means of deterring predators.