Nano Quadrotors

Inventor: GRASP Lab
Company: GRASP Lab
Timeline: 2011 - current
Structure: Quadrotors
Mobility: Fly

GRASP stands for General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception. This is an evolution idea to have robots to collaborate with each other to complete a task. Such task could be building something, play entertainment, spying, security guard, and the list could be endless. Imagine if the swarm of Nano Quadrotors are big size, then we can use this robots for a real job.

BigDog

Inventor: Boston Dynamics
Company: Boston Dynamics
Timeline: 2008 - current
Structure: 4 leg animal
Mobility: leg

BigDog was developed by Boston Dynamics funded by  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles. THe robot has successfully manage to adapt to tough terrain. It would be great if the robot can have it's skin. I wonder whether BigDog can move under raining and snowing weather. Also, would BigDog walk with a silent movement one day.

Kismet / Leonardo / Nexi

Inventor: Dr. Cynthia Breazeal
Institute: Media Lab
Timeline: 2008 - current
Structure: Humanoid
Mobility: wheel

Nexi is a MDS robot (Mobile, Dexterous, Social) that combines rich social communication abilities with mobile desterity to investigate more complex forms of human-robot teaming. It started off with robot Kismet, and soon evolve to robot Leonardo and finally robot Nexi. It's interesting to see a robot that can interact with emotions. If only the interaction is faster, then this will revolutionaize human-robot interactions.

Kismet

Leonardo

Nexi

Lego Mindstorms

Inventor: Lego
Company: Lego
Timeline: 2006 - current
Structure: Any of your imagination
Mobility: Any of your imagination

This is the most flexible technology that allows the creator to use his/her imagination to create the desired version of robots. Now if Lego would enhance the product to create a bigger and solid accessories, then this would be even much interesting. Perhaps, Lego can add vacuum and broom accessories, then this can be my floor cleaner.

Here are some other imaginations which you can achieved through Mindstorms

Here is one of the most creative invention: