Mini dog robot can bounce, open doors and even climb fences

Minitaur is designed to be an affordable and practical quadruped robot. Not only can it cross obstacle-strewn terrain impassable to wheeled and tracked robots, it can also climb stairs and chain-link fences. Jiren Parikh, CEO of its manufacturer, Ghost Robotics, says it can even clamber up trees. The current version of Minitaur weighs 6 kilograms and can crawl, sidle crabwise or rear up against a vertical surface just like an excitable dog to reach high objects. Attachments on the end of the robot's legs allow it to open door handles as well as to grip and climb fences.