video Featured Video
Robot stays on its feet despite punishment
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 01:22
Robotic engineers have modelled a two-legged robot to be fast and agile like an ostrich...and able to withstand physical abuse meted out by its creators. Ben Gruber has more.
▲ Hide Transcript
▶ View Transcript
It's another day of abuse for this poor robot named Atrias. If not being kicked around, Atrias spends hours being pummelled by balls. But, remarkably, through the abuse, the robot stays on its feet. Unlike most bipedal robots which are designed to move like humans, researchers at Oregon State University modelled Atrias after a bird, creating what's basically a robotic ostrich that conserves energy while maximizing agility and balance. Atrias is fitted with two constantly moving pogo stick-like legs made of carbon fiber. Fiberglass springs store the mechanical energy produced while the robot makes unsuccessful attempts to avoid the punishment it receives from its creators. The researchers say that with a few more tweaks, the robots bird-like design will allow it to become the fastest two-legged robot ever built. Atrias is funded by the U.S. Defense Department's research arm, DAPRA, who hope the robot will one day be able to work in hazard zones too dangerous for humans. But until that day comes - Atrias will just have to keep on taking the abuse -- all in the name of science.
Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code
Robot stays on its feet despite punishment
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 01:22
Top News »
1:00pm EDT - (2:01)
11:48am EDT - (2:58)
10:02am EDT - (2:58)
7:01am EDT - (2:50)
5:41am EDT - (3:19)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:40)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:54)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:23)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (2:05)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (0:38)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Migrant Crisis »
Thu, Nov 15, 2018 - (2:23)
Thu, Nov 15, 2018 - (1:26)
Fri, Mar 16, 2018 - (0:50)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:52)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:07)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:37)
Editors' Picks »
11:48am EDT - (2:58)
5:41am EDT - (3:19)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (2:41)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:26)
Wed, Jul 17, 2019 - (0:49)
Tue, Jul 16, 2019 - (1:25)
Mon, Jul 15, 2019 - (0:52)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (2:21)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (1:53)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (2:38)
Politics »
10:02am EDT - (2:58)
5:41am EDT - (3:19)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:54)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (2:05)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (0:38)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:06)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:36)
Wed, Jul 17, 2019 - (1:17)
Wed, Jul 17, 2019 - (1:03)
Wed, Jul 17, 2019 - (1:03)
Sports »
9:54am EDT - (1:36)
Tue, Jul 16, 2019 - (1:11)
Mon, Jul 15, 2019 - (1:08)
Sun, Jul 14, 2019 - (1:36)
Thu, Jul 11, 2019 - (1:02)
Wed, Jul 10, 2019 - (1:10)
Wed, Jul 10, 2019 - (1:40)
Mon, Jul 08, 2019 - (0:49)
Mon, Jul 08, 2019 - (0:46)
Sun, Jul 07, 2019 - (1:07)
Innovations »
6:49am EDT - (1:41)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:26)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (1:26)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (1:19)
Wed, Jul 10, 2019 - (1:35)
Wed, Jul 10, 2019 - (0:46)
Tue, Jul 09, 2019 - (1:21)
Mon, Jul 08, 2019 - (2:06)
Mon, Jul 08, 2019 - (1:07)
Fri, Jul 05, 2019 - (1:19)
Entertainment »
1:02pm EDT - (1:55)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:24)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:00)
Tue, Jul 16, 2019 - (0:52)
Tue, Jul 16, 2019 - (1:58)
Mon, Jul 15, 2019 - (1:51)
Sun, Jul 14, 2019 - (1:43)
Sat, Jul 13, 2019 - (1:11)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (2:08)
Fri, Jul 12, 2019 - (1:07)
Rough Cuts »
8:57am EDT - (1:48)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:24)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (0:49)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (0:46)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:00)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:26)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:54)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:23)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (2:05)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (0:38)
Thu, Jul 18, 2019 - (1:20)
Moving Pictures »
Wed, Jul 03, 2019 - (2:29)
Fri, May 31, 2019 - (2:03)
Thu, May 02, 2019 - (1:22)
Tue, Apr 02, 2019 - (2:01)
Fri, Mar 01, 2019 - (2:19)
Fri, Feb 01, 2019 - (2:27)
Wed, Jan 02, 2019 - (2:29)
Mon, Dec 17, 2018 - (2:17)
Fri, Nov 30, 2018 - (2:45)
Thu, Nov 22, 2018 - (2:41)
Reuters Investigates »
Wed, Oct 11, 2017 - (10:18)
Wed, Aug 23, 2017 - (6:44)
Thu, Mar 16, 2017 - (2:26)
Tue, Nov 01, 2016 - (2:15)
Thu, Sep 29, 2016 - (2:19)
Fri, Aug 05, 2016 - (2:04)
Mon, Mar 28, 2016 - (3:02)
Thu, Mar 10, 2016 - (2:34)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (2:58)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (2:20)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (0:35)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (3:53)
Dateline Asia »
Mon, Feb 18, 2019 - (1:05)