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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)/YouTube

This four-legged robot can jump over walls without breaking its stride

In the future, hiding behind a small wall isn’t going to help you.

IF YOU THOUGHT you would be able to outrun a robot by throwing some obstacles in front it, we’ve some bad news for you.

Scientists at MIT have been working on the Cheetah, a four-legged robot which can run at speeds of up to 22km/h, for years now, but they have now added another move to its repertoire: the ability to jump over any obstacle like a horse.

The team behind it claim it’s the first four-legged robot that can run and jump over obstacles autonomously.

Cheetah jump Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / YouTube Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / YouTube / YouTube

Even more impressive is its ability to jump over these obstacles without needing a safety harness. The robot automatically detects and leaps over multiple obstacles while it’s running, with no real change in speed.

cheetah jump 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / YouTube Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / YouTube / YouTube

So if you ever find yourself being chased by a robot anytime soon, you’re going to need something more than a 40cm wall to slow them down.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / YouTube

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Author
Quinton O'Reilly
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