Tag Archives: quadruped

Boston Dynamics WildCat Robot Runs Free: Cheetah Unchained

Posted on by

Boston Dynamics’ Cheetah robot impressed people all over the world when it proved that it can outrun even the fastest of our species. But some of you may have been thinking, what’s to be afraid of? It’s tied down. Unless we’re on the same treadmill Cheetah isn’t touching anybody. Well, it’s not tied down anymore.

darpa wildcat cheetah legged robotmagnify

Meet WildCat, the latest generation of the Cheetah. While its tethered predecessor has a recorded top speed of over 29mph, WildCat can “only” get up to 16mph. Not enough to outrun Usain Bolt, but enough to catch up to the average human, running at a full out sprint.

Between drones and Boston Dynamics’ DARPA-funded cats and dogs, we should start looking into this Rapture thing.

[via Boston Dynamics via Gizmodo]

HyQ quadruped robot makes its first public appearance in London, steps up with new feature (video)

Posted on by

DNP HyQ learns how to avoid obstacles, coming to London

Unless you actually work in robotics, you probably don't get to see too many mechanical masterpieces in person. If you live in London, however, you've got at least one chance: the Italian Institute of Technology is slated to showcase its Hydrolic Quadruped robot (HyQ) in public for the first time. Starting August 1st, the four-legged assemblage of metal will be on display at London's Natural History Museum as part of the Living Machines Conference. It's the original model that's going to be part of the event, though, so visitors won't be able to watch the latest model's new trick: stepping over obstacles like a boss. The new HyQ's step reflex algorithm was developed to help it navigate rugged terrain by reacting to physical barriers. Because the unit's legs feel out obstacles, the robot can now avoid stumbling in low-visibility areas -- potentially preventing saving millions of dollars in limb repair. Although you can't see the upgraded HyQ out in public, you can watch it conquer 11-centimeter planks in the video after the break.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: IEEE, HyQ

Germans Developing Robot Ape: Primautomaton

Posted on by

This robot ape from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) could be considered a cross between a humanoid and a quadruped. Most of the time it moves around on four limbs, but it can stand up on its hind legs too.

robot ape
Gentlemen, we now have a fully functional and operational robot ape. This can’t end well. Prepare for Planet of the Robot Apes when they take over.

The robot ape part of a project called iStruct, which is focused on improving robotic mobility. But that doesn’t really matter. ROBOT APE!

Hopefully they can contain this thing before it grabs your Princess and start throwing barrels at you.

[via iEEE Spectrum]

Swiss scientists create catbot: a robot that runs like a cat (video)

Posted on by

DNP Catbot like a cat but a bot

Someone call MIT's researchers and tell them their terrifying cheetah robot has a long-lost teensy sibling in Switzerland. Developed in the laboratories of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the "cheetah-cub robot" is a four-legged metallic critter modeled after a house cat. The scientists focused on designing legs that can move like our feline friends', paying particular attention to their stability while moving on uneven surfaces. While it has a long way to go before it becomes a graceful daredevil, it's a fast little bugger that can run seven times its body length in one second. The researchers hope their creation gives rise to more robots for exploration and search-and-rescue missions in the future -- a far more noble goal than some cat-owners' dream to have their pets' pictures land on the front page of Reddit.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines (video)

Posted on by

Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines video

When we last saw Boston Dynamics' AlphaDog (aka LS3), it was strutting through outdoor trials with the subtlety of a nuclear missile: for all that noise, it might as well have been holding a "shoot here please" sign broadcasting American soldiers' positions to everyone in the forest. Several months later, the company is showing both DARPA and the Marine Corps a refined version of its load-carrying robot that has clearly been through a few rounds of obedience school. While we still wouldn't call the four-legged hauler stealthy, it's quiet enough to avoid the role of bullet magnet and lets nearby troops chat at reasonable volumes. And yes, there's new tricks as well. AlphaDog can speed up its travel over difficult surfaces and move at up to a 5MPH jog, all while it's following a human squad. DARPA and the Marines recently began testing and improving the robot over a two-year period that should culminate in an Advanced Warfighting Experiment with the Marines to test viability under stress. If AlphaDog passes that bar, there's a good chance many on-foot soldiers will have a mechanical companion -- and quite a weight lifted off of their shoulders.

Continue reading Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines (video)

Filed under:

Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDARPA  | Email this | Comments

HyQ is the latest all-terrain quadruped bot, tells Big Dog to bring it on (video)

Posted on by

HyQ is the latest all-terrain quadruped bot, tells Big Dog to bring it on (video)

You might not know this, but you can literally never have enough all-terrain quadrupedal robots... at least according to us (John Connor might disagree). So, while HyQ from the Italian Institute of Technology might bear more than a passing resemblance to Boston Dynamic's Big Dog, we won't hold it against the creators. The Hydraulic Quadruped robot (HyQ for short) was first dreamed up in 2008, but the project is only now coming into its own. Researchers at IIT took the bot for a stroll outside of the confines of a laboratory and treadmill for the first time. They've also stepped up the treadmill testing by bumping up the incline and practically throwing obstacles at it. Impressively, HyQ holds his own, even as his creators pelt it with shipping pallets. Check out the video after the break to see the cybernetic crawler in action.

Continue reading HyQ is the latest all-terrain quadruped bot, tells Big Dog to bring it on (video)

HyQ is the latest all-terrain quadruped bot, tells Big Dog to bring it on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Ubergizmo  |  sourceIIT (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments