Hasta La Gadget!

Since the beginning of time, mankind has been awed by the three-toed sloth. By all accounts, the humble sloth, which moves so slow it actually has moss growing on it, shouldn’t be alive. But yet, it has miraculously managed to keep reproducing based on a ridiculous survival strategy of frustrating potential predators with the power of unadulterated boredom.

You make evolution cry, Mr. Sloth.

But when sloths aren’t mocking Darwin with their very existence, they inspire. Robotic engineers often take cues from nature’s animal designs, knowing these adapted specialties have been honed and perfected via millions of years of genetic trial and error. 

So, why not the sloth?

One amateur robot engineer decided to try his go at mother nature’s greatest mistake with his X-4 Sloth robot. The “sloth” is able to climb a ladder with “claws” made from assorted Lego NXT parts. And, as per it’s namesake, the X-4 moves with the same deliberate movement of a real sloth.

A 10-minute plus video of the sloth climbing the ladder (complete with hard rockin’ soundtrack) after the jump.

via Singluarity Hub