People have always been awed by wild animals, but some scientists at MIT are so fascinated by the animal kingdom, they're trying to invent a cheetah.
And they've gotten pretty close.
Using advanced algorithms that allow the machine to sense objects in its path, the robotic cheetah can run and jump over obstacles on its own.
Scientists chose the cheetah as the model for their robot because the animal's physique makes the cheetah by far the king of speed - going from 0 to 60 in just three seconds and a few strides.
But why would we need to recreate the miracles of nature, when we already have the real, beautiful creature roaming the earth?
This robotic cheetah is part of the Darpa Maximum Mobility and Manipulation project. "Darpa" stands for "Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency," which works on advanced technology for the U.S. Department of Defense. The aims of projects like this cheetah are described as follows:
Robots hold great promise for amplifying human effectiveness in Defense operations. Compared to human beings and animals, however, the mobility and manipulation capability of present day robots is poor. In addition, design and manufacturing of current robotic systems are time consuming, and fabrication costs remain high. If these limitations were overcome, robots could assist in the execution of military operations far more effectively across a far greater range of missions.
Translation: This robotic cheetah is built for war, a uniquely human creation.
