Robotic Cheetah Conquers Obstacle Course By Leaps and Bounds

Watch as an incredibly adept robotic beast sprints and leaps over boards as if signs of the apocalyptic end were just a skip and a hop away. A product of the innovative minds at MIT’s Biomimetic Robotics Lab, the Cheetah 2 utilizes 2D laser distance sensors to anticipate upcoming obstacles and adjusts its strides and jumps accordingly. Successfully clearing varying heights of boards up to 40 cm tall with nary a hint of tripping, the creation and programming of the mechanical feline is a technological feat as “the first four-legged robot to run and jump over obstacles autonomously.”