Robot that Runs 5K - World 1st

-

 Robot Completes Outdoor Run in 53 Minutes









                             Source:  Oregon State University

Cassie the Robot Makes Robotic History

Cassie, a bipedal robot developed at Oregon State University, has made history by being the first robot to run a 5K race.  She finished the 3.1 mile course in 53 minutes, which is almost as good of a running time as that of the average human runner who can run the same distance in 30 to 40 minutes.  The technology and split second adjustments this feat took are considered major milestones in robotics.

DARPA Funded Project

Cassie was created by students in the University's Dynamic Robotics Lab under the guidance of Robotics Professor and Agility Robotics co-founder Jonathan Hurst.  To build Cassie they used biomechanics, existing robot control technologies and new machine learning tools.  Cassie is the first bipedal robot to use machine learning to control her run.  Agility Robotics produced Cassie.  The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA - provided a $1 million funding grant for the project.

Self-Learner

Cassie taught herself to run with what is called a deep reinforcement learning algorithm.  Professor Hurst says "this holistic approach will enable animal-like levels of performance" in robots, which is "incredibly exciting".  Concerning Cassie, her knees bend like that of an ostrich.  To stay upright during the run, the robot made an infinite number of tiny adjustments.  She did fall twice during the 3.1 mile run but recovered and continued to run.  Professor Hurst believes that bipedal robots like Cassie will soon be part of our everyday lives and improve the quality of life.  For Edward Kane's latest book on new robots, go to https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B0926BP31C&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_92HAZ2TNEKHCSVG73H4F  I co-authored  the book with Ed.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Extreme Electric Surfboard

-
Image
  Surfing With No Waves Needed, Anytime of Year                                                                                Source:  Awake Surfboard Can Hit 36 MPH Sweden-based Awake has developed a powerful electric surfboard that can hit speeds of 36 mph.  It can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in just 4 seconds.  The Ravik S 22 electric surfboard is able to surf on any body of water any time of year including on snowy winter days.  And, it doesn't need waves to surf! It provides an extreme surfing ride, developed by an award-winning surfboard company. Tech Specs The e-board is powered by a 12-kW brushless motor.  The motor has three speed settings and three throttle sensitivity modes.  It has a wireless speed control system that cuts throttle response time down to .02 seconds.  The quick response time makes it much easier for the surfer to time turns and jumps.  A 1.9-kW battery provides a ride time of 15 to 20 minutes. That version of the board is priced at $15,000. An extended
Read more

New Electric Surfboard from Sweden

-
Image
  Surfing With No Waves Needed, Anytime of Year                                                                                Source:  Awake Surfboard Can Hit 36 MPH Sweden-based Awake has developed a powerful electric surfboard that can hit speeds of 36 mph.  It can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in just 4 seconds.  The Ravik S 22 electric surfboard is able to surf on any body of water any time of year including on snowy winter days.  And, it doesn't need waves to surf! It provides an extreme surfing ride, developed by an award-winning surfboard company. Tech Specs The e-board is powered by a 12-kW brushless motor.  The motor has three speed settings and three throttle sensitivity modes.  It has a wireless speed control system that cuts throttle response time down to .02 seconds.  The quick response time makes it much easier for the surfer to time turns and jumps.  A 1.9-kW battery provides a ride time of 15 to 20 minutes. That version of the board is priced at $15,000. An extended
Read more

Electric, New MG Cyberster Sports Car

-
Image
  China's SAIC Revolutionizes the Historic British MG Brand                                              Source:  MG Cyberster Electric MG Sport Car Concept Becomes a Reality The legendary sports car company MG was founded in the 1920's in Oxford, England. It enjoyed a long history of creating iconic MG, 2 seat sports cars. It is now China owned and China based, acquired a few years ago by SAIC Motors.  The new MG has a fabulous concept car the Cyberster.  It's an all electric sports car that was recently introduced at the Shanghai 2021 Motor Show.  MG just announced the vehicle is going from concept and into production.  MG calls it the "world's first purely electric e-sports cockpit".  The design of this electric vehicle is sleek, futuristic and highly styled with a wide grill that is a throwback to the original MGB as are the round headlights that open like eyes when the car is turned on.  It is truly an iconic, all electric sports car. EV Capabilities The
Read more