"Cheetah" the robot breaks land speed record

A robot named Cheetah has broken the speed record for four-legged robots by hitting almost 30 km/h. The previous record of 22 km/h was set in 1989.

Cheetah is being developed by Waltham, Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics, with funding from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as part of its Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program, which aims to improve the design and mobility of robots.

You might remember Boston Dynamics' previous robots, which include the BigDog, designed as a military pack mule, and the humanoid PETMAN, capable of running on two legs and performing press ups to test the durability of military clothing.

This new robot mimics the movements of fast-moving animals in nature. It uses a short hopping gait at low speeds but increasing its stride and pace by flexing and unflexing its back with each step, much like an actual cheetah.

The current version of the robot has only been tested on a laboratory treadmill, where it is held in place to ensure it remains centred, and is powered by a remote hydraulic pump.

Boston Dynamics says that it plans to start testing a free-running prototype later this year.