Software Development

Soldier of the Future: this Penn robot can jump and climb [VIDEO]

A team from Penn has designed a robot that can jump, climb and navigate through rugged terrain, the AP reported, making it possibly useful for military search missions or supply transport. What makes this robot, RHex, different from others that aren’t as limber? For one, it has legs, while other robots have wheels. But, as […]

Penn professor Daniel Koditschek, left, and doctoral student Aaron Johnson with the X-RHex Lite robot. Photo by Matt Rourke for the AP.

A team from Penn has designed a robot that can jump, climb and navigate through rugged terrain, the AP reported, making it possibly useful for military search missions or supply transport.

What makes this robot, RHex, different from others that aren’t as limber? For one, it has legs, while other robots have wheels. But, as the AP reported, “…until the latest iteration of RHex, developed by [Penn professor Daniel] Koditschek and fifth-year doctoral student Aaron Johnson, legged robots couldn’t negotiate gaps in terrain any better than robots with wheels.” RHex breaks ground in this respect.

The project, 15 years in the making, was originally funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and is now funded by the U.S. Army.

Watch the robot in action below.

Read the whole AP story on the Washington Post here.

Companies: University of Pennsylvania

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

Our services Preferred partners The journalism fund
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

16 places to responsibly dispose of old electronics in Philadelphia

An interactive timeline of Philly’s tech ecosystem in 2024

How 5 orgs help local businesses achieve success

Expect high-speed internet at 100 Philly rec centers in 2025, Verizon says

Technically Media