Designed by the Dynamic Robot Control and Design Laboratory of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea, the four-legged robot HOUND broke the record for the fastest quadruped robot by running 100 meters in 19.87 seconds and entered the Guinness Book of Records.While breaking the record, the robot managed to run at an average speed of 18.13 km/h. HOUND’s designer, Young-Ha Shin, says that they trained the robot with a single controller in simulation through reinforcement learning. He also adds that the robot accelerated to higher speeds in the simulation, but they have not yet tested it in real life.
The robot, which weighs 45 kg, has special lightweight legs designed for running. The hip and knee actuators are configured in parallel, ensuring that the knee movement is transmitted to the knee joint through the pulley. Thus, a wide range of motion is achieved.
Shin emphasized the importance of the engine and said, “Instant and stable performance are important features when deciding on the engine for dynamic leg movement.” He records his words.
Able to climb slopes and negotiate obstacles
In addition to being fast, HOUND is also capable of climbing. The robot can climb a 22-degree slope, walk 3.2 km and overcome obstacles 35 cm high.
HOUND’s developers aim to continue improving the robot, increasing it to higher speeds and adding complex maneuvering capabilities.
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