

Robotic 'Cheetah' Conquers Terrain in Leaps and Bounds

MIT researchers program a feline-inspired robot to take on rough ground with greater ease.

September 17, 2014

Researchers at MIT have built a robotic "cheetah" which may not be quite as fast as its feline counterpart but does have the ability to run and jump across a grass field without a tether.

The four-legged robot, which can sprint at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour on an indoor track, is also able to clear hurdles while maintaining much of its speed courtesy of a "bounding" algorithm devised by a team led by Sangbae Kim, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT.

"Many sprinters, like Usain Bolt, don't cycle their legs really fast. They actually increase their stride length by pushing downward harder and increasing their ground force, so they can fly more while keeping the same frequency," Kim told MIT News.

Kim and his colleagues, MIT research scientist Hae-Won Park and graduate student Meng Yee Chuah, sought to replicate that physical process with their algorithm, which instructs "each of the robot's legs to exert a certain amount of force in the split second during which it hits the ground, in order to maintain a given speed," according to the site.

That programming enables the robot to run and leap over rougher ground than a track or a treadmill, such as a grass field, as shown in the video below.

The cheetah bot itself was also designed by MIT researchers and engineers. It includes several custom-designed parts which combine to allow it to exert controlled bursts of force on the ground without needing any sensors on its feet, according to MIT News. Specifically, the robot's "high-torque-density electric motor," amplifiers controlling the motor, and legs inspired by those of swift, four-legged animals are key to the success of the bounding algorithm.

"Most robots are sluggish and heavy, and thus they cannot control force in high-speed situations," Kim was quoted as saying. "That's what makes the MIT cheetah so special—you can actually control the force profile for a very short period of time, followed by a hefty impact with the ground, which makes it more stable, agile, and dynamic."

The team said the cheetah bot in its current incarnation could eventually hit speeds of 30 mph.


Thanks for signing up!


Sign up for other newsletters

About Damon Poeter

Damon Poeter


Read the latest from Damon Poeter