While American researchers build robots based on safe, friendly animals like puppy dogs, and the Japanese continue to build cute little robot children, the Germans have gone for something a little more brutal: a robotic ape. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence calls this an "ape-like robotic system". It's part of a program designed to help better understand and implement mechanical movement. It looks cool, but I remember the last time this happened, and it did not end well. [via technabob]