Flipper-legged robot runs, swims, and is ready to hit the bigtime

The aluminum-bodied robot weighs in at 16.5 kg (36 lb), and can run for a claimed five hours on one eight-hour charge of its user-swappable 28.8-V/7.2-Ah And while the prototype that we saw in Montreal at the 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation had six dual-purpose composite "legs," more swimming-efficient vinyl/steel-spring flippers can be substituted if it's going to only be used underwater – a place where it should be more eco-friendly than traditional remote-operated vehicles (ROVs).