Rapid advances in robot development are leading to a whole new generation of tools and toys. Below are recent CNET News.com photo galleries of the mechanical wonders. Newest additions A Cool Robot for polar duty The Japanese toy maker unveils a 6-inch biped named i.Sobot--the world's smallest humanoid robot, it says. March 16, 2007 Salamander robot travels by land and sea Researchers say building the robot helped them understand vertebrate locomotion and how amphibian movement developed. March 9, 2007 Tea time with robots Humanoid machines team up to pour and serve tea--not terribly fast, but you don't have to leave a tip. March 2, 2007 Under the hood of Stanford's robotic race car Loaded with high-def sensors, omnidirectional video and mapping software, Stanford's driverless car is no ordinary station wagon. February 17, 2007 Tomy's tiny two-legged robot The Japanese toy maker unveils a 6-inch biped named i.Sobot--the world's smallest humanoid robot, it says. January 23, 2007 Research developments Robots on the loose at CES At the gadget fest in Las Vegas, iRobot's newest bot scoots and hoists, WowWee's Panda chats and Robo Elvis looks good in leather. January 11, 2007 How a robot learns to walk--and limp Cornell researchers conjure up a starfish-shaped robot that figures out all by itself what it is and how to move. NASA launches twin robots to map the sun NASA has launched two robot observers into space on a two-year mission to capture the first-ever 3D images of the sun's solar storms. Fueling Toyota's future The I-Foot is a prototype vehicle from Toyota that can carry someone and walk. Attack of the killer prototype robots Combine the right voltage and software program with a flat piece of fabric and you get dynamic physical rendering. Snakes on a fire truck A Norwegian research company is developing robotic firefighting snakes to keep firemen out of dangerous situations. Robot makers rev their rescue-bots Robots test search and rescue operations for Department of Homeland Security. Robot balances, rides on a ball The Ballbot from Carnegie Mellon stands tall and scoots around on a small metal sphere. Robots get smart Highlights of an exhibition on the application of artificial intelligence in robots. RobotCranes at work New "floating" robotic cranes can handle formerly difficult and expensive aircraft-maintenance tasks much more quickly and safely. Robot Microsoft tool envisions evolution of robots Windows-based toolkit offers simulation runtime so developers can aim to create intelligent applications. Fun and games Creating a customized iRobot iRobot is releasing the iRobot Create, a programmable robot for entertainment and education. January 7, 2007 A robot with moves by MicrosoftRobotic Studio software enables owners to program their tribot via the PC, and then control its actions wirelessly. Happy hour with robotsCocktail robots mix mojitos, serve snacks, make small-talk and smoke cigarettes at Vienna convention. The friendly faces of Japanese robotsIf the new generation of household robots has puppy-dog eyes, blame a classic cartoon character named Astro Boy. From Ambient Orb to wired bunnyCut from similar cloth as the famous orb, the Nabaztag Smart Rabbit brings wiggly ears to the smart object. Lego lands in RedmondAt Microsoft, Lego shows off the latest iteration of its programmable robot technology. As iPod rocks, this robot rollsJapan's ZMP which calls its iPod playing device Miuro, short for "music innovation based on utility robot technology." RoboCup 2006 set to kick off World Cup soccer matches not techie enough for you? Check out these robo-Ronaldinhos. Military might Samsung's gun-toting robot If you don't know the password, then you could get in serious trouble with this armed and dangerous border-patrolling 'bot. December 1, 2006 Robot rescuer for wounded soldiers The Bear, from Vecna Technologies, would put itself in the line of fire instead of human stretcher-bearers. Gung-ho gadgets The Army's Rapid Equipping Force is focusing on devices such as surveillance systems for locating explosives. Gun-toting bots The Talon Sword is an autonomous vehicle with a machine gun (or rocket launcher) mounted on top. Eye in the sky The CyberBug is an aerial surveillance drone for budget-conscious law enforcement agencies. Robots are now being used by the military on dangerous missions in reconnaissance, security and demolition. Robots are ready for dangerous missions like explosives removal. These robots can be configured with machine guns. Robots are being used to detonate or disable confirmed bombs. Household wonders Robot doubles as PC White Box Robotics uses off-the-shelf PC parts to build mobile robots that look a bit like R2D2. White Box's products double as PCs. December 2, 2006 Scooba in the house CNET News.com reporter Michael Kanellos lets the floor-scrubbing robot loose in his house--and gets clean linoleum and lots of laughs. Robot vacuums and rolling laptops Evolution Robotics has a navigation system called NorthStar that helps self-propelled machines scoot around the living room. Live large in this smart home What would a home of the future be without an army of robots to vacuum the rug, cut the grass and entertain the kids. Robotic pets WowWee's Roboraptor and Hasbro's I-Dog are expect to be two of the most sought after holiday gifts. Household helper The Wakamaru robot does a variety of household tasks, from security to secretarial. The ideal pet: they'll work, provide companionship and don't make a mess. Sit back and let Roomba vacuum your floors. Scooba is Roomba's counterpart, with a scrubber and squeegee. A step in the right direction A two-legged robot is aimed at enabling people in wheelchairs to go up stairs. Roborior looks like a light but will call your cell phone when something looks suspicious. Videos Video: Robotic animal thrives on land, in sea The Salamander Robot is an experimental machine that can operate in three modes: swimming, slithering and walking. Video: Fly your own remote-controlled robot CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos gets a demo of a few different models. Video: Create your own robot Watch an example of what the robot is capable of as it attempts to find a piece of foam and pick it up on its own. Video: Go forth and mop Watch Scooba suck up Diet Coke, eat pretzel crumbs and take on the soda machine. Video: Robots may ask you for change Artist creates robots in response to class divide. Related stories Innovation on display at SRI Robot ITR surfs the Internet Mars rovers still churning Some bot to watch over me Robots run amok at hospital