robot that runs like a cat ((tag: tech))

This is cheetah-cub,

a compliant quadruped robot. Credit: EPFLThanks to its legs, whose design faithfully reproduces feline morphology,

EPFL's 4-legged 'cheetah-cub robot' has the same advantages asits model: It is small, light and fast.Even though it doesn't have a head, you can stilltell what kind of animal it is: the robot is definitely modeled upon a cat. Developed by EPFL's Biorobotics Laboratory (Biorob), the "cheetah-cub robot," a small-size quadrupedprototype robot, is described in an article appearing today in theInternational Journal of Robotics Research. The purpose of the platform is to encourage research in biomechanics; its particularity is the design of its legs, which make it very fast and stable. Robots developed from this concept could eventually be used in search and rescue missions or for exploration.This robot is the fastest in its category, namely in normalized speed for small quadruped robotsunder 30Kg. During tests, it demonstrated its ability to run nearly seven times its body length in one second. Although not as agile as a real cat, it still has excellent auto-stabilization characteristics when running at full speed or over a course that included disturbances such as small steps. In addition, the robot is extremely light, compact, and robust and can beeasily assembled from materials that are inexpensive and readily available.