Most robots is very monotonous: they either walk on two legs, or similar to four-legged dogs. Researchers from Massachusetts northeastern University diversified the field of robotics with the robot Leonardo that is able to walk on two legs, jump and even fly for short distances. The developers are confident that she can overcome any obstacles, from barriers to rather broad Yam — it is not the best robot for the study of distant planets?
Leonardo height not exceeding 80 cm and a weight of 2.7 kg. for small mass, the robot is very stable — this is achieved through the use of carbon fibre. Ease allows the machine to fly at low altitude with only two engines. Unfortunately, it’s not as maneuverable as the drones, but it doesn’t need. The robot is not designed to fly — thanks to the motors, he can easily jump over obstacles and landing safely on both feet.
The idea was not to create a quadcopter, but to create a machine that could use their legs and engines to increase the range of jumps, explained lead author of the project Alireza Ramezani.
Motors with blades desired robot is not only for long jumps, but also to maintain equilibrium. For us humans, this seems a very simple task, but for robots is a difficult and critical. One has only to recall the first versions of the ATLAS robot from Boston Dynamics — they stumbled at almost every step. Fortunately, in 2018, they have become so clever that even able to perform acrobatic stunts.
So flexible robot, of course, will be particularly useful in science. For example, he will be able to explore the surface of other planets, which is full of craters and other irregularities.
Imagine a robot that literally never falls: he is able to overcome rugged terrain, fly and jump. In the future we can use such a machine for studies.
What do you think, what other tasks can handle Leonardo? Write your guesses in the comments or in our Telegram chat.