Robotic rock-climber takes its first steps
New Scientist is carrying a story on the success of a prototype fully autonomous rock climbing robot named Lemur.
While other climbing robots are designed to scale the sides of flat structures using suction cups or magnets for grip, tackling uneven geological surfaces is a far more difficult task. With a central body and four triple-jointed limbs, Lemur's gait resembles that of a human rock climber as it manoeuvres up an indoor climbing wall at Stanford.
At the moment, the robot cannot stick to a sheer wall. But on uneven surfaces it can use the claw at the end of each limb to hook into a foothold. "It's like a human climber using a single finger," Bretl says.
More information along with videos can be seen here.
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