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.

We love Festo because every year they invest an entirely appropriate amount of time and money into bio-inspired robots that are totally cool and very functional but have limited usefulness. More often than not, it seems like Festo is able to take some of what it learns from designing and constructing these things and create practical new revenue-generating products. Which is good for them, and means they'll keep making cool stuff. Over the last few years, we've met ants, butterflies, flying jellyfish and penguins, kangaroos, seagulls, and much more. Festo has just announced its two newest bionic learning network robots--one is a very convincing flying fox, and the other is a walking, tumbling robot inspired by a Saharan spider.