MIT Cheetah Robot Jumps Over Objects While Running

Posted on May 31, 2015

MIT has made another improvement to its Cheetah robot. The robot can now clear hurdles while running at speeds up to 5 mph (8 kph). MIT researchers say this makes Cheetah the "first four-legged robot to run and jump over obstacles autonomously."

Sangbae Kim, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, says in a statement, "A running jump is a truly dynamic behavior. You have to manage balance and energy, and be able to handle impact after landing. Our robot is specifically designed for those highly dynamic behaviors."

The robot has to detect an approaching obstacle and estimate its height and distance. The robot uses LIDAR to see the obstacle. MIT describes LIDAR as a "visual system that uses reflections from a laser to map terrain."

The robot also has to determine the best position from which to jump and adjust its stride accordingly as it gets closer to the object. The robot runs an "approach adjustment algorithm" on the fly which takes 100 milliseconds to complete. MIT says the robot completes the algorithm in about half the time it takes to run a single stride.

MIT says the robot can clear obstacles up to 18 inches tall while maintaining an average speed of 5 mph. Here is a video showing the Cheetah robots new leaping skills. In one test objects were suddenly placed in the robots path while another test involved multiple jumps over static obstacles without a safety harness. Take a look:

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