IT鈥橲 not the fastest walking robot on the planet, but for its height it is a record breaker. At just 30 centimetres high, RunBot can walk at a speedy 3.5 leg-lengths per second. This beats previous record holder, Spring Flamingo, from MIT, which is four times as tall but manages just 1.4 leg-lengths per second.
Runbot uses a very basic controller that mimics the way human motor neurons control our reflexes, says developer Florentin W枚rg枚tter of the University of G枚ttingen in Germany. RunBot only senses two things: contact with the ground and forward movement of its legs. When one foot touches the ground, the opposite leg automatically swings forward. Once the second leg touches down the cycle starts again. See it at ).
