March 05, 2012 04:28pm ETRobot Cheetah Sets New Speed Record DARPA Battlefield Robots A robotic cheetah funded by the U.S. military sprinted at speeds of up to 18 mph to set a new land speed record. Credit: DARPA View full size image

A cheetah robot funded by the U.S. military has broken the land speed record while running on a lab treadmill. Its robotic display of athleticism gives hope for new battlefield robots that could prove nimbler than existing robots on wheels or tanklike treads.

The cheetah robot's record-breaking sprint appeared in a new video posted by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) today (March 5). Its top running speed of 18 mph (29 kph) is faster than the average human jogger, but still lags behind top human speeds of nearly 28 mph (45 kph) — perhaps a relief for anyone fearing a world where robots can outrun their human overlords.

Such a performance also pales next to real-life cheetahs that represent the world's fastest land animal by reaching eye-watering speeds of 70 mph (112 kph). Still, the robot's ability to mimic the cheetah's natural stride by flexing and unflexing its back on each step allowed it to beat the previous record of 13.1 mph, set in 1989.

The test marks an early milestone in the U.S. military's quest to create more mobile robots capable of going where legged human soldiers can go. DARPA has funded the cheetah robot made by Boston Dynamics alongside a Flamingo- or Velociraptor-shaped robot inspired by an MIT design.

Boston Dynamics has also created a four-legged, headless "LS3" robotic mule designed to haul 400 pounds of gear for human soldiers on a 20-mile trek without refueling. That represents a larger version of the company's "BigDog" robot that gained Internet fame in viral videos showing its ability to stay on its legs despite kicks from human tormentors.

The cheetah robot cannot roam free from the lab like the robotic mule just yet — it remains tethered to a hydraulic pump and an overhanging device that keeps it running in the center of the treadmill. But tests of a free-running version are scheduled for later this year.Follow InnovationNewsDaily on Twitter @News_Innovation, or on Facebook.

猎豹机器人创造了DARPA战地机器人奔跑速度新纪录

Robot猎豹新的速度纪录DARPA战场Robots 由美国军方资助的机器人猎豹冲刺的速度可达18英里每小时设置一个新的土地速度记录。

由美国军方资助的猎豹机器人在实验室跑步机上运行，??同时打破了陆上速度纪录。它的机器人的运动能力展示让人们对新的战场机器人，可能会比现有的车轮或tanklike胎面.

机器人敏捷

猎豹机器人的破纪录冲刺出现在发布的美国国防部高级研究计划局一个新的视频（DARPA）今日（3月5日）。 18英里每小时（29公里）的最高运行速度比一般人慢跑速度更快，但仍落后近28英里每小时（45公里）和mdash顶人的速度;也许是一种解脱的人担心一个世界里，机器人可以逃脱他们的人类领主.

这样的表现也相形见绌旁边代表了世界上最快的陆地动物副产品达到70英里每小时（112公里）眼浇水速度，现实生活中的猎豹。然而，机器人的通过弯曲和unflexing对各退一步，以模仿猎豹的自然步幅能力，使其能够击败13.1英里每小时此前的纪录，在1989年成立.

测试标志着一个早期的里程碑，在美国军队的任务创建能够去的地方足的人类战士可以多移动机器人。 DARPA资助了猎豹机器人由波士顿动力学旁边一个Flamingo-或迅猛龙形机器人的灵感来自麻省理工学院设计制作.

波士顿动力也形成了四足，无头＆QUOT; LS3＆QUOT;机器人骡子用于拖运400磅齿轮在20英里的长途跋涉人类士兵的不加油。这代表了公司的＆QUOT的放大版;大狗＆QUOT;机器人获得了互联网成名的病毒视频显示其留在它的腿，尽管人类的折磨踢.

猎豹机器人不能漫游摆脱像骡子机器人实验室，只是还没有和mdash能力;它仍然束缚到一个液压泵和，保持它运行在跑步机的中心的伸出设备。但是，一个自由运行的测试版定于晚些时候year.