Up until now we've had no problem with scientists working to give us robots that can swim, run, jump and even scale walls. But when robots that can camouflage themselves to disappear into the scenery start popping up, it may be time to get a little nervous.

In a small way, the Roomba represents the dream of putting a robot in every home. Now if it cooked, did your laundry and brought you a beer, it'd be perfect. iRobot's brand new 600 series doesn't do any of that (yet), but the lovable little vac-bot is getting a grip of upgrades without all the added cost.

Remember the chase scene in Evil Dead 2, where the titular dead hunted Bruce Campbell all through the inside of the cabin? Well MIT's Robust Robotics Lab has successfully reenacted that scene using a camera mounted on a small robotic plane that is able to autonomously fly indoors and maneuver around obstacles.

We're not saying we want the chiseled bodies of human lifeguards to disappear from beaches, but if Japan's Swumanoid swimming robot keeps making breakthroughs, their days are numbered.