So yeah, it basically sits on its ass, spreads its doors in a weird way and then breathes fire. It’s not much of a transformation, but its just so chunky that the fact that it can even sit up like that is a feat in itself. Plus there’s the fire-breathing bit. Here’s the van in vehicle mode:

Man, that grill is fierce. It’s not that obvious from the pics, but when Wicked Evolution Jr does a wheelie “transforms” via hydraulics and actuators, so it’s not actually as simple as it looks. Here’s the van in action:

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You can actually rent the big little fella for your parties and events, just contact its creator, Skylar, at (570)820-5327 (US number) for more details. Check out Skylar’s website for more pics and info, including the making of the RC van (Skylar’s sketch was real close to the final version), as well as Wicked Evolution Jr’s big daddy, Wicked Evolution, an ambulance-turned-show car.

[via Botropolis]

Developed by Hirose-Fukushima Robotics Lab, the Roller-Walker robot walks like an insect when in walking mode, but then can transform itself into a rolling, wheel ‘bot when it’s instructed to. You’ve definitely got to watch the video clip to get the full effect – it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen a robot do.

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I’m assuming that this dual approach allows the robot to deal with more challenging terrain when in walking mode, then move around more quickly on flat land in wheel mode. It’s all very cool stuff indeed.

[via Robots.Net]