This Cheetah Robot Is Faster Than Usain Bolt, Now You’ll Never Escape
No lie, this is both completely fascinating, and more than a little terrifying. Cheetah Robot, a new robotic quadruped created by Boston Dynamics, can run faster than Olympic gold medalist, and 100-meter world record holder, Usain Bolt. Watch this video that shows the prototype topping out at an unbelievable 28.3 miles per hour on a treadmill, a full 0.5mph faster than Bolt’s fastest recorded 20-meter split
One nice thing about zombies is that, in a pinch, you can generally get away from one of you need to. But when Cheetah Robot eventually gains sentience (and if science fiction has taught us anything, it is that this will indeed happen at some point), there’s no hope of hightailing it out of there. If this can run down the fastest human to ever live, let’s face it, the vast majority of us are totally screwed.
Boston Dynamics developed Cheetah Robot with funding from DARPA’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program. The body of the robot is designed to mimic the graceful cat’s natural movements, and the articulated spine allows for extended strides and increased foot speeds.
A hydraulic pump that is separate from the main body of the robot powers this current model. In its present state it can only run in a place where a boom can connect the drive to the device. However, researchers plan to begin tests on a new version soon, one that will be able to run free and without tethers. They’ll be able to take it out of the lab to see how it functions in the field. I want to see how the Cheetah handles obstacles like uneven ground, and how well it turns and handles corners.
