Robots- a new vision

For decades, pop culture has been trying to forecast what the future's robots might look like. There were dystopian ideas of 'bots overtaking humans, like HAL 9000 did in 1968's '2001: A Space Odyssey.' Then, by extreme contrast, there were welcoming ideas of servant 'bots that just wanted to be friends, like SICO  in 1985's 'Rocky IV.'

Whatever the take, movies have proven not to be the source on robot realism. But that's not to say they're far off, either. Click through to check out some of today's real-life robots and the amazing things they can do

No joystick or keypad is behind the HRP-2 robot, snapped above near Tokyo earlier this year. Instead, the humanoid robot is controlled, unbelievably, by brain activity. Researchers in a joint Japanese-French project have developed the 'bot, which hopes to be able to move based on the thought process of its master. The technology is positively sci-fi, but the goal is to use it to assist disabled or elderly people in day-to-day tasks.

Think a Lamborghini will get you noticed? Try piloting one of these.

This is Mantis, a menacing robot that claims to be the largest all-terrained hexapod robot in the world. Built by an English designer, Mantis took four years to develop, stands nearly three metres high and weighs some 1,900 kilograms. Mantis won't win any street races, but its six-axis 'body attitude control,' as its designer calls it, offers impressive maneuverability for its size.