Boston Dynamics posts video of cheetah-like WildCat robot
Whenever Boston Dynamics releases a video of one of its new robots, it’s an event. The company’s introduction to its latest creation, WildCat, was no exception — a clip posted yesterday on YouTube has already racked up more than a half-million views.
WildCat is seen bounding through a parking lot in the video, and unlike its first-generation cousin — the Cheetah robot — it isn’t tethered to an off-board power source. The company says the video represents the robot’s best performance to date: 16 mph on flat terrain. The record for a legged robot is still held by Cheetah, however, which has surpassed 29 mph.
Both robots were developed with funding from DARPA’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) program. You can see WildCat in action for yourself below:
[ photo courtesy of Boston Dynamics ]
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About The Author
Mike Davin
Mike Davin is passionate about business and robotics. In addition to editing The Business of Robotics, he is on the advisory board for the Robotics Alley Conference & Expo. He also serves on the executive committee of AUVSI Twin Cities as communications chair. Before he covered robots, he was senior editor of Boating Industry magazine as well as online editor of its sister publication, Powersports Business.