This little robot can go almost anywhere.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science and the University of California, Berkeley, have designed a robotic system that enables a low-cost and relatively small legged robot to climb and descend stairs nearly its height; traverse rocky, slippery, uneven, steep and varied terrain; walk across gaps; scale rocks and curbs; and even operate in the dark.
“Empowering small robots to climb stairs and handle a variety of environments is crucial to developing robots that will be useful in people’s homes as well as search-and-rescue operations,” said Deepak Pathak, an assistant professor in the Robotics Institute. “This system creates a robust and adaptable robot that could perform many everyday tasks.”
The team put the robot through its paces, testing it on uneven stairs and hillsides at public parks, challenging it to walk across stepping stones and over slippery surfaces, and asking it to climb stairs that for its height would be akin to a human leaping over a hurdle. The robot adapts quickly and masters challenging terrain by relying on its vision and a small onboard computer.
Read the full article on the SCS News Site