For all the wonders of the 21st century it must be said that - so far at least - robots are a disappointment.

Sure they can build you a spiffy car, and wobble unconvincingly over a battlefield, but we were promised Robocop. And Robocop these are not.

As such it is always heartening when any development, however minor, is made in the field of mechanical men.

Enter Asimo, Honda's humanoid robot who for more than a decade has been wowing, delighting (and, truth be told, slightly disappointing...) robotics fans with its remarkable abilities.

Now the Japanese company has unveiled a new version of its loveable android. Among its new talents are: moving around without control by an operator, running at a speed of nine miles an hour and - get this - hopping.

That's right. Asimo can hop. Take that Astroboy!

He can also pour drinks, has 23 more degrees of freedom and weighs a lot less. It can also recognise up to 5 people speaking at once. Neat.

Take a look at some of the videos below, courtesy of The Verge, where you can also find more images and clips of the creepy little creature.