Boston Dynamics Cuts the Cord on Wildcat

 Robotics  

Boston Dynamics is working hard on many projects at once, including humanoids for the DARPA Robotics Challenge and the mule-style LS3.  Now they have also created a free-running cat bot that can hit speeds of 16 mph.

WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain by Boston Dynamics. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits.

The video above WildCat's best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's M3 program.

WildCat follows in the footsteps of Big Dog, Alpha Dog and includes hints of the cheetah robot the company also built.

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What is new about the new creation in the video is that the walking robot is not connected to electrical wires, pneumatic hoses or security lines at all.  WildCat is running free.

With the robot still early in its development, the quadruped's powerful motors are extremely loud, but as we've seen with Boston Dynamics' other robots they can dampen the noise later. For now, its work is focused on getting the robot up to speed.  The company has also been awarded major new funding to cut the noise and make their robots more robust.

SOURCE  Boston Dynamics

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