A lot of robots in development are able to perform amazing feats in a laboratory setting when they have got plenty of tethers and cables keeping them perpetually powered and safe. The real test of their capabilities is when they’re forced to explore and interact in a real-world environment, like the robot cheetah that researchers at MIT are developing, which recently took its first untethered steps outside.
If you assumed you could stay one step ahead of the inevitable robot rebellion by simply running, think again. MIT’s robot cheetah might be limited to a top speed of about ten miles per hour in its current form, but its creators based its unique leg mechanisms on an actual cheetah so eventually this robot should achieve some impressive speeds — and jumping capabilities. Yep, it’s time to start getting seriously concerned.