Biped “Raptor” Sets Speed Record

A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has built a small, 3-kilogram biped robot inspired by the velociraptor dinosaur.  Although tied to a balance bar, the robot is able to run at 46 km/hr, roughly equal to the (also tethered) Cheetah quadruped from Boston Dynamics, claimed to be the fastest legged robot in the world.  So it’s safe to say that the new “Raptor” robot is, at the very least, the world’s fastest robot biped.

Raptor uses prosthetic blades for feet, and includes “Achilles tendon” springs that store and recover energy on each step.  The overall design of the robot is quite simple, with a single motor on each legs connected to a series of linkages, with one more motor controlling a “tail” counterbalance that enables the robot leap nimbly over obstacles.

[via IEEE Spectrum]