Relying on numerous sensors, actuators, and a computer vision system, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spinoff Boston Dynamics' four-legged Cheetah robot can run at up to 29 miles per hour, but only in the lab, on a treadmill, on a tether, and guided by a boom.
Attack of the flightless bumblebee
But the WildCat is a different story. Freed from any restraint, the robot can charge down the road seeming like a giant bee missing a couple of legs. And . . . is that anger it's showing when it trips and almost falls?
On its Youtube video page for the WildCat, Boston Dynamics notes that "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. The video shows WildCat's best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's M3 program."
Some of Boston Dynamics' two- and four legged robots are tethered; others aren't. One of their most well-known free-ranging robots, BigDog, relies on a stereo vision system and/or lidar to make its way across terrain, and may someday serve as a sort of pack mule for the military [see http://www.bostondynamics.com/img/BigDog_IFAC_Apr-8-2008.pdf].
Yes, I used "vision system" and "lidar" as an excuse to wedge this video into Photon Focus. But photonic systems are integral to the success of these and any other free-ranging robots, large or small. Which system(s)—vision, lidar, or both—win out for what purpose will be a fascinating topic to follow in the next few years.
For more info, see www.BostonDynamics.com.
John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)
John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.