Having four legs equipped with wheels at their extremities might already render a robot surprisingly practical. China’s scientists are making significant progress, with their W1 quadruped robot now able to rise up and walk on two “feet”.
In late October, we were thoroughly captivated by the innovative design of the Zurich-based Ethereum project. The robot, featuring four legs with retractable, powered wheels at their extremities, provides enhanced mobility and dexterity.
The W1 effortlessly glides along clean roads, sidewalks, and flooring, achieving optimal speed and energy efficiency through its wheel-based locomotion.
Regardless of whether it must navigate around obstacles, tackle rough terrain, or ascend/descend stairs, this device still comes to a halt and engages its brakes securely. As it adopts this unique movement pattern, the device leverages the wheels to replicate the fluid motion of a quadruped’s natural gait.
One factor that had The Swiss-Mile, distinct from the W1, revealed a crucial fact: were it designed to mimic human-like capabilities for specific tasks – such as parcel delivery – it would need to rise up onto its hind legs and either stroll or roll. With this new capability, even the W1 model can give it a go.
LimX Dynamics
Notwithstanding the brevity of technical details provided thus far, it is clear that this standing robot’s capabilities include rotating 360 degrees in place, executing 90-degree turns, navigating through obstacles like shelving objects, and recovering from collisions without losing balance.
The robot’s remarkable agility is further showcased by its ability to transition seamlessly from a quadruped gait to an upright biped stance in under a second, reaching a height of precisely 152 centimeters (59.8 inches).
LimX Dynamics
The renowned gaming personality LimX recently shared an eye-catching video showcasing their mastery of the W1. strolling Walking confidently on two feet across a spotless floor. The ambiguity surrounding this creature’s ability to ascend stairs remains, prompting the question: will it adapt a bipedal gait akin to that of corporate entities, or revert to quadrupedal locomotion to execute its actions? While considering the capabilities of a robot, it is crucial to understand whether it can execute tasks akin to those performed by gadgets with its articulated legs while stationary.
We’re still eager to hear back from LimX about all questions. In the interim, watch our latest video below.
The LimX Dynamics W1 successfully evolves into a sophisticated bipedal robot, featuring advanced artificial intelligence and remarkable adaptability.
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