The world’s fastest robot has broken its own land speed record by 10.3mph.
In March this year, The Engineer reported that DARPA’s Cheetah robot had set a new speed record of 18mph.
DARPA reported yesterday that Cheetah had smashed its own record to reach 28.3mph, giving the defence research agency further insights into robotic locomotion.
Click here for more information on Cheetah and DARPA’s other robotics programmes.
Reminds me of “the hound” in Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451. Exciting and creepy at the same time.
Interesting “speed”, 18 seconds… Is Cheetah capable of automatic locomotion over rough terrain? If not, there are these things called “wheels” which will deal really well with a treadmill.
Did I see the “Hand of God” with a yellow wristband plucking the Cheetah out of harm’s way when it exceeded its design parameters?
In these times of financial austerity, I haven’t laughed so much for months.
Well worth the money it cost to develop, certainly funnier and more entertaining than Chris Evans. Though I am at a loss as to what it could be used for – I must be getting old …
Interesting to see a speed quoted in seconds. I presume it’s the time to cover a distance, although I can’t see a distance quoted. Any ideas?
I remember Farenheit 451 fondly but I think the hound was a really nasty and stalking kind of construction. I think clock-makers of some centuries ago did just as well as this. I think a competition with a speeded-up Orloj in Prague :has 17th century moving figures-( restored after war damage 1948)
Speed in seconds ?
When I was an engineer we usually quoted distance divided by time.
Assume time is 18-10.3=7.7 seconds.
Anyone know the ‘distance’ ?
Did anyone else notice the nut falling off after about 14 seconds?
Errr… pretty meaningless without a distance…is this for 100m?
Either way its pretty cool, this whole projects a big leap forward for robotic locomotion
What this demonstrates to me is that no matter how much you spend on a mechanical marvel, it breaks down all too easily. This heath robinson piece of junk managed, with a pole supporting in on the far side from the viewer and power and control cables dangling down, to run about hlf as fast as it’s evolved, biological, namesake. Like an earlier respondent said, We invented wheels to do this type of thing.
A omplete waste of money!.
“to run about hlf as fast as it’s evolved, biological, namesake”
Given the difference in the duration of their respective development cycles, DARPA’s Cheetah looks pretty impressive from where I’m sat.
If it can match the rate of evolution displayed by the robot vehicles responding to DARPAs Grand Challenge, in a few generations Robo Cheetah should be quicker than the real thing.
Still a bit creepy mind!
Charlie.
Self-powering and self replicating also, no doubt.