Wild Cat means wild cat: even if the physical resemblance is not obvious, this robot with a karting engine and four legs, runs on all types of terrain and rather fast! Better still, it can leap, take sharp turns or even make a complete half turn in a split second.
This robot was developed by the company Boston Dynamics on behalf of DARPA (the US agency responsible for advanced research projects for Defence).
Wildcat's not as fast as his big brother. Cheetahbut it has the advantage of running freely in the open air without being attached to a cable. For the moment, the quadruped robot can reach a top speed of 25 km/h on flat ground and in gallop mode, powered by a two-stroke kart engine. This has been coupled directly to a hydraulic pump. It also has a small tank to reduce weight, giving it an autonomy of about five minutes.
So this robot was designed for military use. As the video shows, it looks more like a big insect and is not particularly discreet! What will it really be used for? Refuelling? Medical aid? To be continued...
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