MIT made an army of tiny, 'virtually indestructible' cheetah robots that can backflip and even play with a soccer ball - see them in action in this new video

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• MIT's Mini Cheetah robots are small quadrupedal robots capable of running, jumping, walking, and flipping.
• In a recently published video, the tiny bots can be seen roaming, hopping, and marching around a field and playing with a soccer ball.
• They're not consumer products, but MIT hopes that the Mini Cheetah's durable and modular design will make it an ideal tool for researchers.
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Boston Dynamics may have made a name for itself by posting videos of its surprisingly lifelike animal-themed robots, but don't count out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT recently published a new video of its Mini Cheetah robots, small quadrupedal robots that can run, walk, jump, turn, and backflip. The robots weigh about 20 pounds and researchers claim they are "virtually indestructible," according to MIT News.

In the recently posted footage, the tiny bots can be seen ducking, hopping, and marching around a field. In some scenes, the robots are shown playing with a soccer ball, too.

MIT also made headlines earlier this year in March when it showcased its miniature robot performing a backflip. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In addition to being durable, the Mini Cheetah is designed in such a way that makes it easy to repair and modify  if necessary. MIT is hoping that this level of flexibility will make the robots appealing to researchers who wouldn't otherwise have access to robotics.

"A big part of why we built this robot is that it makes it so easy to experiment and just try crazy things, because the robot is super robust and doesn't break easily," Benjamin Katz of MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering told MIT News. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Boston Dynamics, meanwhile, said in late September that its dog-like Spot robot would be shipping to early customers. That bot is currently being tested to perform tasks such as monitoring construction sites and remotely gas, oil, and power installations.

See below to check out the new video of MIT's Mini Cheetah in action.