The DARPA funded project which aims to create the fastest two legged robot in the world. The latest project uses a technology which is inspired by pogo sticks and the Robot is quite agile to be used with ease in locations which are considered too dangerous for humans.
DARPA is the force behind some of the most intriguing and amazing inventions. These include smart bullets which can change directions in mid air, humanoid robot which has a brain, a cheetah robot and robot surrogate soldiers. The latest news from the world of robotics is a DARPA funded project under the aegis of engineers at Oregon State University who have created a bipedal robot which they claim to be the fastest in the world.
ATRIAS or Assume the Robot Is a Sphere as it is referred is a bipedal robot. It is a brain child of Dynamic Robotics Laboratory researchers who drew inspiration from birds. It is touted as the most agile and one of the quickest bipedal creatures on Earth.
The scientists who created the ATRIAS took help from the birds who are digitigrades animals and thus they can walk on their toes. The legs are attached to strong assembly and are composed of pelvic girdle extensively fused with the uniform spinal bone (also specific to birds). Researchers also made some ground breaking improvements to these designs.
Jonathan Hurst, an associate professor and robotic expert in the OSU College of Engineering said, “When this robot gets up to speed for walking, not even running yet, it will be the fastest bipedal robot in the world.”
The ATRIAS robot’s foot is half bird and half pogo stick.
The Dynamic Robotics Laboratory website said, “ATRIAS is designed to move like a simple ‘spring-mass’ model, a theoretical model which is comparable to a pogo stick. This springy model can both walk and run with remarkable energy economy and in a fashion highly similar to humans and other animals. By building ATRIAS like this model, we are targeting similar performance.”
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