Many kids dream about flying into space one day, and countless others picture themselves being drafted onto a professional sports team. Amazingly, Leland Melvin has accomplished both.

So far, 2011 has been full of winter storms and a whole lot of snow. And as a massive blizzard that just slammed the Midwest U.S. moves eastward, Japan might have a cute and innovative solution for scooping up the white stuff.

Winter storm victims should enlist the help of self-guided robot Yuki-taro, which eats snow and then excretes snow-bricks.