DARPA robots going through their paces
 

2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge 'animate' software/robotics teams to create robotic-assistance systems capable to operate and respond in natural and man-made disasters. The Finals is free to attend and open to all. The Finals will be held at the Faiplex, Pomona, CA, June 5-6, 2015. The Challenge finalists will require their robots successfully perform consecutive physical tasks, sometimes with loss of communications between the robots and their controllers. This will test autonomous contingency systems. The best performing team will receive the $2 million grand prize, $1 million to the runner-up and $500,000 to the third-place team. Hopefully, the technologies will advance the field of standalone robotics and systems; able to have task-level autonomy that can operate in the most hazardous and dangerous conditions common in disaster zones.

Hmmm...military too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=23&v=eYBV-a7Qmyk

Road to the DARPA Robotics Finals | Computerworld