PETMAN Robot Climbs Stairs In New VIDEO From DARPA, Boston Dynamics

WATCH: Menacing Military Robot Attempts Amazing Athletic Feats

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, popular lore suggests building a moat to protect yourself—in the case of a robot rebellion, climbing a flight of stairs was once thought to do the trick.

Not anymore.

PETMAN, a humanoid robot built in 2011 for the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), has been modified to climb stairs, as shown in the unsettling video above.

This is only the latest feat for PETMAN, which has already mastered walking. The robot's confident swagger has been the butt of jokes, but it wasn't designed to look like a human on the battlefield. PETMAN's primary purpose is testing chemical protection clothing, according to creator Boston Dynamics' website, and it can "simulate human physiology within the protective suit by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating when necessary."

PETMAN aside, Boston Dynamics may be best known for BigDog, the four-legged pack robot that can walk on ice and keep its balance after getting kicked. PETMAN shows some of the same ability to right itself in the video above—and if that's not enough, it can also do push-ups.

See more of its abilities in the video above or take a look at the slideshow below for more videos of the most uncanny humanoid robots.

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