MIT researchers have created an algorithm for bounding that they've successfully implemented in a robotic cheetah, a four-legged assemblage of gears, electric motors, and batteries, that weighs about as much as its feline counterpart.

The team took the robot cat for a run on MIT's Kilian Court, where it ran the indoor track at 10 mph, even clearing a hurdle along its way, according to a MIT press release.

Kim and his colleagues, research scientist Hae-Won Park and graduate student Meng Yee Chuah, will present details of the bounding algorithm this month at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Chicago.

Thanks to advanced technology, and the brilliance of the researchers, the robot can run unassisted and perform new tricks. The robot can navigate over rough terrain and the lawn, coming a long way since its initial test.

The key to the bounding algorithm is making sure each of the robot's legs exert a certain amount of force in the split second when it hits the ground in order to maintain a given speed. The faster the desired speed, the more force must be applied to propel the robot, according to the release.

Sangbae Kim, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, said that this force-control approach to robotic running is comparable to the way world-class sprinters race.

"Many sprinters, like Usain Bolt, don't cycle their legs really fast," Kim said, according to the release. "They actually increase their stride length by pushing downward harder and increasing their ground force, so they can fly more while keeping the same frequency."

Kim believes that by adapting a force-based approach, the cheetah-robot is able to handle rougher terrain, like bounding across a grassy field.

In treadmill experiments, the team found that the robot handled bumps in its path, and was able to maintain a speed even as it ran over a foam obstacle.

"Most robots are sluggish and heavy, and thus they cannot control force in high-speed situations," Kim says. "That's what makes the MIT cheetah so special: You can actually control the force profile for a very short period of time, followed by a hefty impact with the ground, which makes it more stable, agile, and dynamic."

This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

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