A new robot can run like a cheetah without a restricting tether.
Boston Dynamics created an animal-like robot that moves like a big cat, Discovery News reported. An earlier version of the feline robot could run on a treadmill, but needed to be attached to a wire. This new-and-improved version, which DARPA invested in, is off the leash.
In order to create a free-running model the researchers first needed to figure out how to allow the robot to turn and recover its balance. The company has just released a video of the robot, called "Wildcat," running around with "forward bending knees."
The past version, called "Cheetah," was able to achieve speeds of up to 28 mph, Wildcat can only move at a rate of 16 mph, Geek reported.
"WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits," Boston Dynamics wrote on the Youtube video of the galloping robot.
Boston Dynamics has created a number of other humanoid or animal-like robots. A robot called Atlas can walk on two legs, and has a similar body shape to a human. The robot's arms can lift things and "manipulate the environment." The robot can even climb.
"Atlas is strong and coordinated enough to climb using hands and feet, to pick its way through congested spaces," Boston Dynamic's website stated.
A more canine-like robot called BigDog can also move easily across terrain, this one can also carry heavy loads. The robot can move at a speed of four miles-per-hour.
"BigDog's on-board computer controls locomotion, processes sensors and handles communications with the user. BigDog's control system keeps it balanced, manages locomotion on a wide variety of terrains and does navigation," the website stated.
WILDCAT:
CHEETAH:
