Home
Contact Us
Donate
Support Us
Store
Books
Videos
Global Political Awakening and the New World Order
Quotes
Translate
GPA Store: Featured Products
Friday, July 26, 2013
RHex the ‘Parkour robot’ shows off its ability to handle various obstacles in the wild
screenshot from University of Penn vid
Madison Ruppert
The University of Pennsylvania’s Kod*lab has developed an amazingly nimble hexapedal “Parkour robot” dubbed RHex, shown successfully handling various obstacles in the latest video.
RHex is “biologically inspired,” according to the university, which is an increasingly common trend in robotics.
Biologically inspired robots range from
giant autonomous jellyfish
to
tiny flying robot insects
to
larger drones modeled after insects
which are even
capable of carrying out lethal missions
to
drones modeled after owls
and
other birds
to robots
modeled after cheetahs
and
cats
to
robots modeled
after
humans
.
The most impressive part of the video demonstrating RHex (embedded below) is that it is not performed in a perfectly controlled laboratory environment.
Instead, the robot is shown navigating everyday obstacles around the University of Pennsylvania campus.
It is shown running, jumping, flipping, grabbing on to edges and more. The researchers believe that it will eventually be used in rescue applications.
The idea for the robot was
first presented
in 2001 as part of a large consortium funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
A wide range of RHex platforms have been developed over the past 12 years, with the University of Pennsylvania being especially active in development.
The platform uses six legs, each driven by a single rotary actuator. The legs are springy, producing an energetic running motion.
The legs are all controlled by a central computer which receives either user commands or feedback from sensors to determine how the six legs move.
“Lately the project has been mostly focused on higher order autonomy for the RHex robot, incorporating additional sensors for robust state estimation, visual navigation, and obstacle avoidance, as well as greater dexterity in controlling its legs to climb over and through obstacle fields,” the University of Pennsylvania
explains
.
The platforms currently being used for research are the
X-RHex
and X-RHex Lite (
XRL
), which is the one shown in the video.
X-RHex is “designed for robust operation in complex, natural, outdoor terrain, and is the first RHex to feature a modular payload system,” according to the University of Pennsylvania.
XRL, on the other hand, is a lighter, more agile version of X-RHex, but it also boasts a modular payload system.
Some of the potential payloads
include
an additional computer, GPS, LIDAR and a camera array.
Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our
Amazon link
or check out some must-have products at our
store
.
This article first appeared at
End the Lie
.
Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis database
End The Lie
and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on
UCYTV
Monday nights 7 PM - 9 PM PT/10 PM - 12 AM ET. Show page link here:
http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie
. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at
admin@EndtheLie.com
Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter:
Delivered by
FeedBurner
Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.
0 Comments
Disqus
Fb Comments
[Get It]
Comments :
Newer Post
Older Post
Home