quadruped
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Researchers trained a quadruped robot to cross a balance beam
A team of Italian robotics researchers created a quadruped robot that can balance on two feet.
Boston Dynamics 'new' SpotMini robot looks ready for a walk
Boston Dynamics isn't a part of Google/Alphabet anymore, but that won't stand in the way of new robot videos, like this latest teaser for a revamped version of its dog-like electric SpotMini robot. Described only as the "new SpotMini" it looks sleeker and more production ready than any version we've seen before. There's no creepy manipulator arm mounted on top and it's covered in plastic, revealing only a set of 3D vision cameras on the exterior.
Fence-climbing robot could be priced within your reach
Four-legged, go-anywhere robots aren't really affordable... not unless you're willing to spend as much as you would on a used car, anyway. Ghost Robotics, however, thinks it can do better. It's working on the Ghost Minitaur, a dog-sized quadruped bot that could cost $1,500 or less when it hits mass production. Its direct-drive electric motors both keep the cost down (since the springiness is dictated by software, not hardware) and let it pull off feats that you don't see in far pricier machines. As Ghost Minitaur can sense contact with objects through the motors themselves, it can not only climb stairs, but scale fences and even open certain kinds of doors. Shades of Jurassic Park's velociraptors, anyone?
GE's bringing good things, and massive robots, to life
Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills. America was in the middle of a post-war economic boom during the '50s and industries were in a rush to build the future, often with outlandish results. RCA-Whirlpool was busy whipping up the "miracle kitchen," chock-full of mod-cons to make the Jetsons jealous, and Simplicity Mfg. Co.'s air-conditioned, bubble-domed lawnmowers arrived to ease the painful process of landscaping. General Electric (GE), a longtime hotbed of innovation and research, had various projects underway, including engineer Ralph Mosher's Cybernetic Anthropomorphic Machine Systems (CAMS). Mosher was building man-amplifying tools that would allow users to control robotic appendages with natural human movement. Not to be left out, the US Army was plotting the future of rough- and remote-terrain vehicles, and it had its eye on GE and Mosher's work.
HyQ quadruped robot makes its first public appearance in London, steps up with new feature (video)
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.
Swiss scientists create catbot: a robot that runs like a cat (video)
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.
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.
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.
PIGORASS quadruped robot baby steps past AIBO's grave (video)
Does the Uncanny Valley extend to re-creations of our four-legged friends? We'll find out soon enough if Yasunori Yamada and his University of Tokyo engineering team manage to get their PIGORASS quadruped bot beyond its first unsteady hops, and into a full-on gallop. Developed as a means of analyzing animals' musculoskeletal system for use in biologically-inspired robots, the team's cyborg critter gets its locomotion on via a combo of CPU-controlled pressure sensors and potentiometers. It may move like a bunny (for now), but each limb's been designed to function independently in an attempt to simulate a simplified neural system. Given a bit more time and tweaking (not to mention a fine, faux fur coating), we're pretty sure this wee bitty beastie'll scamper its way into the homes of tomorrow. Check out the lil' fella in the video after the break.
Video: BigDog turned into BigBull (with BigHorns)
BigDog is probably our favorite DARPA-sponsored quadrupedal robot, capable of prancing across the terrain for 24 hours straight while carrying 400 pounds of equipment on its back. Don't let that light-footed trot fool you, though -- this thing's a killer. Need proof? Check out this video courtesy of Boston Dynamics, who affixed a pair of rather pronounced bull horns onto the thing's front and sent it charging at what looks like an unfortunate audio engineer. Thanks to a flourish of red he escaped unscathed. Olé![Via Gizmodo]
