Recently, advancements in robotics came in the form of a robot mimicking a frog and its movements.
Now, German company Festo has taken another step in robotics by creating BionicKangaroo, a robot that moves similar to the way a real kangaroo does.
BionicKangaroo has a “tendon” installed in its leg that not only propels the robot forward by also recaptures energy upon landing.
Thanks to pneumatics, the tendon is spring-loaded when set in motion and released when the leg springs backwards.
The robot is able to adjust its leg and tail mid-air to maintain balance in between hops and the leg is continuously spring-loaded every time the BionicKangaroo lands in preparation for another hop.
Features:
- Capable of jumping over 1 foot high
- Weighs approximately 15 pounds
- Able to cover distances upwards of two-and-a-half feet
- The robot is 3 feet tall
- An armband controls the gestures of the kangaroo
Unfortunately, the BionicKangaroo will not be found in stores as its main purpose is to help improve automation and propel robotics research.
Via: PDF Supply Blog
