Tonight, I will be chased by this galloping robot in my nightmares.
Let me introduce you to the new and improved Cheetah robot, a four-legged machine that used to run a terrifying 18 mph. Now, it’s tacked on some extra get-up and has been clocked at 28.3 mph. If you’re unaware of just how fast that is I have two words for you:
Usain Bolt.
“It just blazed past its previous speed record, getting up to 28.3 mph, about 0.5 mph faster than Usain Bolt’s fastest 20 meter split. This version of the Cheetah Robot runs on a treadmill with offboard power. Testing on an untethered outdoor version starts early next year,” says creators Boston Dynamics.
Check it out in action:
Boston Dynamics is doing some pretty amazing work with robotics. They are also singlehandedly creating the fleet of robots that will destroy human civilization as we know it. They’re responsible for this amazing jumping robot, this anthropomorphic robots that does push-ups and sweats, this robot mule that can carry 400 pounds of equipment through 20 miles of rough terrain, and many more unnerving creations.
You say “fast-running quadruped,” I say “highly efficient death machine that can now outrun the fatest human on planet Earth.” But, you know, keep on doing what you’re doing guys.