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The article gives brief information on current machines developed in Germany, of 3 types: walking machines, more or less insect like with only very few quadruped machines; climbers, intended to hang in girders or to hold themselves in place with vacuum suckers; and tube crawlers, which maintain their position in tubes or ducts by friction. It is remarked that future developments will depend on developments in 3 areas: sensors, notably tactile sensors; locomotion actuators (lightweight electric motors and gearboxes of high efficiency, electric and pneumatic muscle-like devices, and force controlled actuators); and lightweight energy supplies (high-energy density batteries or accumulators, small generators, and small compressors). (5 pages)