MABEL, the world’s fastest bipedal robot
By George Wong – 08/16/2011 13:15 PDT
Those of you worried about robots taking over the world can start getting a little worried now. The researchers over at Michigan University have announced that they’ve developed the world’s fastest bipedal robot with knees. Built in 2008, the robot named MABEL has seen massive improvements since then. The bipedal robot is said to be able to run at speeds of up to 6.8mph (10.9km/h) and negotiate rough terrain at lower speeds – while moving just like a human being. Talk about impressive.
While it’ll be a long way off before we see this robot being used in practical, everyday situations, the scientists hope to use the technology developed for MABEL to create robots that can climb stairs in the future. This will allow robots to be more useful for rescuing people inside burning buildings, since they’ll be able to climb stairs as opposed to robots that use wheels and tracks. Just make sure they find a way to deal with the robot being too hot to touch after it walks through fire. Watch a video demonstration of MABEL running:
No Comments on “MABEL, the world’s fastest bipedal robot”