DARPA has developed a new suspension system that could save military and civilian lives. Not for tanks or cars, but for the threaded robots that assist soldiers during battle for deactivation of explosive devices.
These robots are becoming crucial, especially in urban scenarios but also in others. DARPA thinks that their new active suspension system will allow robots to reach more places faster and through more kinds of obstacles and terrains.
[The suspension] improves the robot’s mobility over rough and uneven terrain. The technological enhancement enables faster transit speeds, climbing of very steep slopes, improved heading control, greater accommodation of debris entering the suspension and reduced impact forces on carried payloads.
The video demonstration is quite impressive. [DARPA]