Most of the robots we see today are humanoid, but sometimes you stumble upon creators that think outside the box and take a different direction in design and functionality.
This time, a team from IIT (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) modeled their robot after a horse, more specifically a centaur, a prevalent creature in Greek mythology. Much like the myth, the robot has a humanoid upper section with two arms that are able to manipulate objects, while the lower half’s four legs can be used to navigate uneven terrain and overcome obstacles.
Thanks to the system that cleverly combines legs and wheels, the robot is able to go through a wide range of environments.
Centauro, as it has been aptly named, is 1.5 meters tall, weighs 93Kg and is equipped with cameras, computer vision sensors and a LIDAR scanner placed in its head, which helps it map out its surroundings and give feedback to its operator.
For the time being, Centauro is tele-operated but soon enough the researchers hope they will be able to give it more autonomy so it can work on its own. When that will happen, it will be tested in various scenarios in the real world, such as damaged buildings or industrial environments.
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