A new robot can run at breakneck speeds of up to 20 miles-per-hour and has a battery life that lasts up to two hours.
The robot can run and a wide variety of terrains, Robotics Unlimited's reported on its Kickstarter for the robot, dubbed Outrunner.
Outrunner will be available to to the public within the next year or two at a relatively low cost. It is simple to operate and easy to upgrade.
"Why are robots doing great things only in movies? Why is it that the only people enjoying robots right now are scientists or engineers? At Robotics Unlimited, we are tired of these trends and are on a journey to change this status-quo. We believe that robots should be a part of everybody's life and that they should be easy and fun to interact with while still doing amazing things. OutRunner is here to prove that to you," the company stated on its Kickstarter page.
Outrunner mimics the step patterns of a number of animals. Its center of mass is lower than the leg axis of rotation. It uses a buoyancy effect to keep itself stable on all types of terrains.
The robots legs take a cue from nature; they store and help conserve kinetic energy in an effort to increase battery life.
The company plans to organize a race for running robots by the end of 2015. The "The Robot Race" event would contain " a drag race, an endurance race, and a slalom race," the Kickstarter reported.
"With this event, we really hope to foster the love of robotics and look forward to seeing a huge diversity of participants (hobbyists, researchers, students, etc.). This will also be the perfect occasion to compare robots and share our discoveries," the Kickstarter reported.
"Of course, to make things even more fun, we will allow modification to the OutRunners. But keep in mind that even the best robot is nothing without a good pilot! So who's going to be the best robot pilot? It may be you, who knows...," they said.
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