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BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineer studens test the ESCHER robot at the in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineer studens test the ESCHER robot at the in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineering students Oliver Ebeling-Koning (L) and Graham Cantor-Cooke test the ESCHER robot in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineering students Oliver Ebeling-Koning (L) and Graham Cantor-Cooke test the ESCHER robot in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech graduate student Coleman Knabe uses a computer design program to help repair a boken acuator for the ESCHER robot at the TREC (Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls) Lab May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech graduate student Coleman Knabe uses a computer design program to help repair a boken acuator for the ESCHER robot at the TREC (Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls) Lab May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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BLACKSBURG, VA - APRIL 09: Team Valor members (L-R) Mike Hopkins, Eric Hahn and Robert Griffin work on the legs of the ESCHER robot while preparing for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge at the TREC (Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls) Lab at Virginia Tech April 9, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams in the competition, Team Valor has built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BLACKSBURG, VA - APRIL 09: Team Valor members (L-R) Mike Hopkins, Eric Hahn and Robert Griffin work on the legs of the ESCHER robot while preparing for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge at the TREC (Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls) Lab at Virginia Tech April 9, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams in the competition, Team Valor has built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineering students test the ESCHER robot at the in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BLACKSBURG, VA - MAY 26: Virginia Tech mechanical engineering students test the ESCHER robot at the in the lobby of the Goodwin building on campus May 26, 2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Unlike many of the other 24 international teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, the students of Team Valor have built most of the semi-autonomous ESCHER (Electromechanical Series Compliant Humanoid for Emergency Response) robot from the ground up over the last three months. The winner of the simulated disaster-response course will take home a $2 million prize next week in Pomona, California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Getty Images News Chip Somodevilla