A robotic cheetah is able to jump over objects much like its namesake in the natural world. This is the first four-legged robot capable of sensing barriers in its path and jumping over them automatically.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers previously developed a cheetah-like robot, and they have now provided that device with the twin abilities to detect obstacles to travel and jump over them, without the need for human interaction.
The robo-cheetah stands nearly 36 inches tall, and can leap barriers up to 16 inches tall, while running at speeds up to 5 mph.
Just like a human runner, the robot is able to see the hurdle in front of it, and estimate the height of the object, as well as its distance. It sprints toward the barrier, placing its final footfall at the optimum distance from the hurdle to make the leap. Upward force is applied, and the robo-cheetah takes to the air. Upon landing, the robot is able to absorb the shock of landing, and apply the exact amount of force needed to land safely. The mechanism can then continue running forward.
"A running jump is a truly dynamic behavior. You have to manage balance and energy, and be able to handle impact after landing. Our robot is specifically designed for those highly dynamic behaviors," said Sangbae Kim, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT.
In September 2014, the same group at MIT announced its cheetah-bot was able to run without being tethered to equipment. This activity was carried out without the use of any visual cues. The newly developed vision system for the robotic cheetah utilizes Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) to locate objects and estimate their size and distance. The system uses a laser to create a 3D map of its territory, which is analyzed by processors on-board the robot cheetah. This provides the robot with complete control, independent of human controllers.
The robo-cheetah can operate for up to 15 minutes before it needs recharging. Robots based on this design could potentially be used in situations where conditions are too hazardous for humans to travel. The ability to leap over objects could prove useful while rescuing victims from collapsed buildings following natural or man-made disasters.
Future development may be aimed at developing a version of the robot that would be able to leap over hurdles while traveling on soft ground, such as grass.
Capabilities of the leaping robot will be demonstrated at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Robotics Challenge on June 5-6 in Pomona, Calif., as 25 teams compete for $3.5 million in prizes. Details of the system will be announced during a presentation at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference the following month.
Here's an MIT video showing the cheetah-like robot in action.
