MIT Cheetah: A Legged Robot for Disaster Response

Disaster response often involves exploring and performing physical work in dangerous environments. In order to reliably deploy a robot in a dangerous area, the ability to navigate in various extreme environments is critical. The MIT Biomimetics Laboratory focuses on developing disaster response robots by utilizing the inspirations from animals. Biological machines created by millions of years of evolution suggest a paradigm shift in robotic design. Realizing animals' magnificent locomotive capabilities is next big challenge in mobile robots. The process of "principle extraction' from biology is a critical step toward the practical adoptation of nature's design. The embodiment of such innovations includes Stickybot that employs the world's first synthetic directional dry adhesive inspired by geckos, and the MIT Cheetah, designed after the fastest land animal. The design principles in structures, actuation and control algorithms applied in the MIT Cheetah will be presented during the talk. The Kim's creations are opening new frontiers in robotics and leading to advanced mobile robots that can save lives in dangerous situations, and new all-around robotic transportation systems for the mobility-impaired.