Transforming hexapod robot walks like a spider, rolls like a ball. Norwegian engineer Kåre Halvorsen has built a robot that has multiple perambulation options.
It can walk over rough terrain like an insect, or roll around like a ball. He calls it a "morphing hexapod". The spherical robot's body is divided up into 12 parts. Each can be pushed out at will, allowing the bot some freedom in its movement. Most badass toy I have seen. Robotics Zeitgeist « Artificial Intelligence and Robotics blog.